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Winter 2008Spring 2008

Ontario Folk & Roots Music in

Memphis

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Check Out OurEarly Summer

Festivals

Kyrie Kristmanson in Memphis

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Board of directors 2007/082007 – 2008 Board of directors

aengus finnan ..................................... finnan@eagle.caKaren flanagan Mccarthy ....kfm@mccarthymedia.comrichard flohil.. .............................. rflohil@sympatico.caellen Hamilton. ................................ellenh@kingston.netdan Kershaw ..................................kershawd@socan.cadennis Landry ..............................dennis@thinknorth.caPaul Loewenberg ...................artistic@nlfbsudbury.comPeter Macdonald ...................peter@nutshellmusic.comPaul Mills ................................ paul@themillstream.comNicole rochefort .............. nicolerochefort@hotmail.com suba sankaran ........................... suba@autorickshaw.cacandace shaw ......................... ptbofolkfest@gmail.comJan Vanderhorst ......................... justusfolk@rogers.com

staffGeneral Manager - Jennifer fornelliOffice Administrator - Jessica Van dusen

Youth and Community OutreachCoordinator - erin Barnhardt

Phone 1.866.292.6233 or613.560.5997 Fax 613.560.2001info@ocff.ca www.ocff.ca

Mailing address:4 Florence, Suite 204 Ottawa, ON K2P 0W7 Printing and Layout by Orion Printing Cover photo by Patrick T. Power

deadline for editionsSeptember 1 - fall (conference)December 15 - winterMarch 15 - spring June 15 - summer

ad rates Business Card ....................................$75/$100Quarter Page ....................................$100/$125Third of a Page ..................................$150/$175Half Page ..........................................$175/$200 Full Page ...........................................$200/$225Inside Cover ......................................$300/$350Back Cover .......................................$500/$600

Listed above: member/non-member rates; not applicable for Fall/Conference issue. Please visit our website for conference issue ad rates, as well as formats and sizes.

Submissions (max 500 words) and pictures welcome! Submissions may be edited for length and clarity. We cannot guarantee inclusion of your submission in Folk Prints (but we’ll try!). Please send submissions in text format only. If you have pictures, call us before you send them.The views expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the OCFF. Questions or comments regarding Folk Prints should be brought to the attention of Jennifer Fornelli at info@ocff.ca. Articles and photos may not be reprinted with-out the expressed written permission from the author and/or photographer.

O N T a r I O C O u N C I L O F F O L K F e S T I v a L S

Table of Contents

President’s Message ............................................................................................................................ Pg. 4

A Note From the Office ......................................................................................................................... Pg. 5

Building Our Future .............................................................................................................................. Pg. 6

Become an OCFF Lifer ........................................................................................................................ Pg. 6

Deadlines ............................................................................................................................................. Pg. 6

Hospitality for Hundreds ....................................................................................................................... Pg. 9

Embracing the Future - OCFF Youth Program 2008 Takes Flight ....................................................... Pg. 10

Best Festival Memories and “Beyond the Basics” Backpack ............................................................... Pg. 13

Early Summer Festivals Map ............................................................................................................... Pg. 14 & 15

Early Summer Festivals ....................................................................................................................... Pg. 16 - 19

The Estelle Klein Award ....................................................................................................................... Pg. 21

OCFF Green Team .............................................................................................................................. Pg. 21 & 22

Programming for the Playful: Successful Children’s Activities & Events .............................................. Pg. 23

Twisted Pines Music & Arts Festival .................................................................................................... Pg. 24

View From the Stage ............................................................................................................................ Pg. 24

Ontario Folk and Roots Music in Memphis........................................................................................... Pg. 26

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The president’s voice by Aengus Finnan

Transition: movement, pas-sage,orchangefromoneposition,state,stage,subject,concept,etc.,toanother;change:thetransitionfromadolescencetoadulthood. Welcome to the Spring edi-tionofFolkPrints,wheremea-sured growth and appropriatechange are touchstones of theBoardofDirectors. Just as there are manychangeseachyearinourlargercommunity - new voices, newideas,newFestivals,newstyles,andnewtechnology-inanorga-nizationsuchastheOCFF,therearemanyfacetsofitscharacterand operations to review andrefine.Thereisalwaysfarmoreworkdonethanisapparent,andthereisalwayschange. As you know, the OCFF isin transition, currently fieldingits second round of candidatesfor consideration in hiring anew Executive Director. TheSearchCommitteeiscommittedtofindingtherightpersonwiththeappropriateskillstoleadtheorganizationforthecomingyearsandconfidentlylooksforwardtoreportingbacktoyouinthenexteditionofFolkPrints. The Board is also complet-ing itsthirdyearofreviewandrefinementofalloperationsandfinancesinordertoensurelong-termstability.AprudentDeficitReductionStrategyoverthepasttwoyearsledtomanymeasuresthat will ensure your organiza-tion is better able to provideongoingqualitycommunication,year-round support, advocacy,and of course, a stellar annualconference. This same strategy,among other logistical reasons,led to last year’sultimatedeci-siontorelocatetheconferencetoOttawaforthenextthreeyears.

I appreciate that there arealways questions and concernsaboutanydecisionandIassureeach and every member thatwhileitmightnotsuiteveryone’sparticularpersonalneedsorde-sires,theBoardoperatesintheinterestsofallandlabourshardto make fair and appropriatedecisions. Based on input and sug-gestions from our membership,there are a number of excitingnew committees and initiativeswhichwefeelstronglyshouldbepart of the continued planningof the OCFF. The Green Com-mittee,inparticular,isworkingdiligentlytoprovidesomelong-overdue changes to both theconferenceanddailyoperationsoftheOCFF.Iencourageyoutoreadtheirarticleindetail. You’ll also note some sub-stantialchangestothestructureand schedule of the conferencewhen this year’s preliminaryschedule is released. For thefirsttime,aConferenceSteeringCommitteeoftheBoardhasbeenestablishedtoreallyre-envisionthe purpose and activity of ourhallmarkevent.Itwillcomewith

someadjustments,again,basedonyourcommentsovertheyears,and inparticular,asaresultofthe2007conferencesurveysandfeedbacksession. Finally,startingwiththeFes-tival Boards of Directors, KellyHillofHillStrategiesResearch,willinitiateasocialandeconomicimpactstudyofthefolkfestivalcommunity - an incredible toolfor all of us to better view themanystrengths,assets,andben-efitswecollectivelyprovideourregionsandourprovince. Wishing you all the best aseveryoneworkstowardsanotherfruitful summer of culture inyourcommunities.

Sincerely,

AengusFinnanOCFFBoardPresident

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A note from the ocff office......

HelloOCFFmembers, Aswewatchthetreestrans-formfromwinter’sbarebranchestothefirstgreenbudsofSpring,we’re reminded that change isessentialtothehealthofanyor-ganization.ChangeallowsustoexploreourcapabilitiesandkeeptheOCFFprogramsandservicesfreshandexciting. TheendofFebruarybroughta major transition to us hereat the OCFF office, with thedeparture of the OCFF’s firstExecutive Director, ErinBenja-min.WealsowelcomedournewOfficeAdministrator,JessicaVanDusen.Jessicahasbeenwithus

justoverthreemonthsnow,andsheisdoinganincrediblejob.So,ifyoucalltheofficeandJessicahappens to answer the phone,please welcome her warmly totheOCFFfamily. AnotherexcitingchangeforusisthecreationoftheConfer-enceSteeringCommittee(CSC).TheCSCwillworkcloselywiththestafftoensurethattheCon-ferencecontinuestobeevenmoresuccessfulinthecomingyearsinmeetingtheneedsoftheOCFFmembership and the folk androotscommunity.PaulMills,DanKershaw,AengusFinnan,Jenni-ferFornelliandErinBarnhardt

arethecommitteemembers.Yourideasand feedbackare the rawmaterialtheCSCusestocreatetheConferenceprogramming.Ifyouhaveanysuggestions,pleaselet us know. Send your sugges-tionstoinfo@ocff.ca. We are looking forward toshowingoffoureffortstoyouinthe coming months and, as al-ways,areheretotalkaboutyourideas,questionsorconcerns.

Manythanks,

Jennifer,ErinandJessica

Lefttoright:ErinBarnhardt,JenniferFornelli,JessicaVanDusen

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Building our future by Jan Vanderhost

Spring brings with it thepromise of rebirthand renewal–andtheinevitablelistof‘mustdo’ home and garden mainte-nancetasks.It’smuchthesamefor OCFF’s Board of Directorswho care for and preserve thestructureofthisorganization. The Board of Directors isconstantly working to build ontheaccomplishmentsofthepast,so the organization can betterserveandreflecttheneedsofitsmembers.Tocontinuetodoso,we are always looking for newvoiceswithfreshperspectives.Iencourage you to consider run-ning for one of three positions

availableontheBoardthisyear.Youareeligibleifyou’vebeenamemberoftheOCFFforatleastoneyearandhavethesupportof2additionalmembers. Weneedcommitted,passion-atepeoplewhowanttomakeadifference. We are looking forpeoplewithpracticalskillstoen-hancethecommitmenttheywillbringtotheBoard.Bookkeepingabilitiesorexperiencerunningasuccessful not-for-profit organi-zation,businessorfestivalisde-sired.Peoplewithexperienceinpublicrelations,communicationsor media relations are needed,asarethosewithstrongwriting

and editing abilities. Memberswith experience in fundraisingand/orsponsorshipprocurementare also encouraged to run forelection. Allofthedetailsoneligibility,nomination forms, the electionprocessandwhatisexpectedofBoardmembersareavailableonthe“AboutOCFF”pageonourwebsite (www.ocff.ca). Pleasetake the time to consider whatyoucancontributetohelpagreatorganization become even bet-ter.

Deadline for nominations is July 15, 2008.

Become an OCFF Lifer... by Karen Flanagan McCarthy

Here’sadealthatwillmakeyou feel goodand, at the sametime, support one of your fa-vouriteorganizations:becomeaLifetime Member of the OCFF.Foramere$625,youcanhavea membership expiry date of2107. Okay. So, maybe $625 isnota“mere”amountofmoney.It’snotinmybookseither(justask my bank manager!). But,considerthebenefitsofLifetimeMembershipintheOCFF:

• aninvestmentinthefuture ofanorganizationthatsup- portsyou,yourcommunity andthefestivalsthatwe lovetoattend,volunteerfor andplayat;

• energy-savingandenviron- mentallyefficient–thinkof theenergyandresources you’llsave(yourownand ourstaff’s!)byneveragain havingtorenewyourOCFF membership;

• payableineasyinstalments –ifyoudon’thavethat muchcashinyourbank account,youcansubmit aseriesofpost-dated cheques.Makeusanoffer.

Oh,andI’vealreadycheckedwiththeoffice–ifIdolive‘tiltheyear2107,theOCFFwillextendmy(ahem)expirydate.

OCFFwouldliketoremindyou of the following dead-lines:

Friday, May 9Estelle Klein Award Nomi-nationsOfficial&FamilyShowcaseApplicationsSongs From the Heart Ap-plications

Friday, May 30Conference Registration -Early,EarlyBird

Monday, June 16Youth Program Applica-tions

Thursday, July 31Conference Registration -EarlyBird

DEADLINES:

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Music for thekids inall ofus!Traditionalsongs forkidswith

Paul Mills

Wendy Moore

ArthurMcGregor

Includes the story“Maddie’s Moon”

Available from OFCMusic.ca,iTunes or CDBaby.

The Rathskallions have played in over 1500 schools around the world!

www.gentIcorum.com

New album“La Bibournoise”in storeson April 29TH

CD LAUNCH TOUR DATES :

Caledon, ON April 25th

Kitchener, ON April 26th

London, ON April 27th

Quebec City, QC May 1st

Wakefield, QC May 2nd

Alliston, ON May 3rd

Toronto, ON May 4th

Sherbrooke, QC May 8th

St-Hyacinthe, QC May 9th

Sutton, QC May 10th

Joliette, QC May 11th

Montreal, QC May 14th

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Hospitality for Hundreds by Jessica Van Dusen

ForhospitalitystaffatBlueSkiesMusicFestival,it’susually“clearskies”–apartfromwork-ing in cramped quarters andsuffering from sore feet. Notsurprising, when you considertheyfeedasmanyas200hungrymusiciansandtheirfamiliesoverafour-dayperiod. Planningisessential.Menusare set and food prepared wellinadvanceoffestivalweekend.Contingency plans are put inplace and a variety of servicecontrols are established: fromconfirming calculations of cof-fee proportions to designatinga“runner”forunforeseenfoodshortages; from double-check-ing refrigerator and freezertemperatures to conductinganinventoryofplugsandsocketstoavoidelectricaloverload.Then,there’sthetaskofsecuringthekitchen layout and space toavoid potential accidents. Thechildren’sareaisalwayslocatedawayfromthekitchen. Asthefestivalunfolds,newHospitalityHats(astheorganiz-ers of performer hospitality atBlueSkiesareknown)learnbytrial-and-error.Useful“how-to”tipsarepassedonfromexperi-enced “Hats”, such as alwaysoverestimatingsuppliestoguar-antee availability, re-inventingdaytimedishes toserveas latenightsnacks,andsavingpowerbyturningonappliancesatthelastpossibleminute. Teamwork is the essentialingredient, according to Liz

and Sue Lightford, Hospital-ity Hats for Blue Skies. Withso many hands, so much food,andso little time,all staffandvolunteers must understandtheir specific rolesandrespon-sibilities to ensure efficiency– a task accomplished throughon-going communication andstrong organization. Volunteershifts are kept to a minimum,only two to four hours long atmost,and,ofcourse,freefoodisasweetperk.“[Youmust]createanatmosphereoffun–keepitlight,”suggesttheappropriatelynamedLightfords. Pleasing the masses canmeanpleasingmanyindividualtastes, often all at the sametime. By hosting a self-serve,buffet-style themed menu, incombination with traditionaltried-and-truealternatives,mostBlueSkiesmusiciansandtheirfamilies are accommodated.Juice,lemonade,andwaterarealwaysavailable.Backstage,art-istsaretakencareofintheirownspace,allowingthemto“nourishthemselves while making con-nectionswithotherperformers,”saytheLightfords.Specialfoodrequirements such as allergiesorlifestylechoices(e.g.vegetari-anism) must be considered aswell. From the culinary chaos,“seeinghappy,comfortable,andwell-fedperformers”istheper-fectthanksfortheLightfords. Formoreinformationaboutthe Blue Skies Music Festival

held in Clarendon, Ontario(August 1-3, 2008) please call613-279-2610. AcrowdandstafffavouriteatBlueSkiesMusicFestivalis

Yummy Couscous Salad:Serves8-10(ormultiplyallby10toserve100)

Salad:1½cupwater1cupcouscous½cupraisins1can(19oz)chickpeas,rinsed/drained3greenonions,chopped1redpepper,diced1zucchini,diced1/3cupdicedapricots¼cupchoppedfreshparsley

Dressing:3tablespoonslemonjuice1clovegarlic,minced1teaspoongroundcumin¼teaspoontumeric½cupoliveoilSalt&pepper

Bring water to boil. Pour 1cup over couscous; let stand 5minutes.Pourremainingwaterover raisins; let stand 5 min-utes.Fluffcouscouswithfork.Adddrainedraisins,chickpeas,onions, pepper, zucchini, apri-cotandparsley.Tossandpourdressingoverandmix.

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Embracing the Future – The OCFF Youth Program 2008 Takes Flight! by Erin Barnhardt

The2007YouthProgrambroughttogetheraninspiringgroupofemergingartistsandprofession-als,generatingawealthofideas,musicandenergy.TheOCFFhasformedaYouthAdvisoryCommittee(YAC)inordertobuilduponthemomentumfromlast year, and to increase youth representationat the annual conference and in our programsthroughouttheyear.Wewanttohearfromyou!PleasecontactusifyouareinterestedinbecominginvolvedintheOCFFYAC,orhaveanyideastoshare.ThecurrentYACMembersarePaulBrogee,NicholasDelbaere-Sawchuck,NabiLoney,TaylorMitchell, Treasa Levasseur (mentor) and KristaDelbaere(parent). We are working together to create the bestOCFFYouthProgramyet.Thisyear’sYouthPro-gramwillfeatureone-on-onementorship,aspecialyouthshowcase,masterclasses,enhancedorienta-tiontotheOCFFeventandcommunity,ayouth‘hub’,opportunitiesforcollaborationandjamming,andMORE!ApplicationsforboththePerformanceandFestivalProgramareavailableatwww.ocff.caorbycontactingouroffice.Nowisthetimetoreachouttoyourcommunityandencourageyoungartists

andemergingprofessionals(e.g.,artisticdirectors,stagemanagers,soundtechnicians,etc.)toapplyfortheOCFFYouthProgramthisyear. If you are interested in becoming an OCFFmentor,pleasecontactErinBarnhardtatebarn-hardt@ocff.ca.Thisisanexceptionalwayofcon-nectingwiththenextgenerationofmusicmakers,performers,presentersandfestivalpersonnel.Helpmake a difference and ensure that the folk androotsmusiccommunityhasahealthyandvibrantfuture.

“I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity to showcase my music and work with Lynn Miles. I learned so much and met many new friends.”-TaylorMitchell,2007participant

“I loved everything about the youth program this year - it was my OCFF highlight. Getting to work with Nabi gave me as much of a fresh new perspective as I’m sure it gave her, we couldn’t have been more aptly matched, she generated so much interest and even scored gigs from the showcase! -TreasaLevasseur,2007mentor

Phot

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Dav

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MichaelCotaandClaireJenkins

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Weaskedyoutoshareyourbest festival memories – andsometipsaboutwhatyoucarryinyourfestivalbackpack.Hereareafew…sendusmore!

Fondmemories: “I remember seeing BruceCockburn at Mariposa a fewyearsagoandmarvelingathiscommitment to keeping up hisgame.Hespentthebetterpartoftheafternoonpracticing,sit-ting in the shade thrown froma makeshift tarp beside hisvan.Andthisfromaguywho’sbeenatitfor40+years.Bravo,Bruce.”-JasonFowler,Toronto,ON

“Severalyearsagonow,JohnAllenCameronplayedatStewartParkFestivalinPerth,Ontario.He quietly arrived backstage,donned his kilt and played aworkshoponourAcousticStageintheveryhotsun.Whendone,hehadashortbreakbackstageandthenperformedadelightful,story-laden show for about anhouronourmainstage. Youcanimaginethecrowdthat gathered following, whichJohn Allen spoke to, signedanything and had his picturetakenwithanyonefromallagesforoveranotherhour,allintheblazingsun.Justashestartedtowalkintoourbackstagearea,someone called his name andaskedifherememberedawom-an, naming her and indicatingheused to staywithherwhenhefirststartedtravelingthroughtheseparts.Theystatedshewasinthelocalhospital,havingsuf-feredastroke. Without any fanfare hequietlygatheredhisguitarand,I heard from the hospital stafflater,wentandsangforoveranhourtoher.Ihadthehonouroftransportinghimtohisevening

showthatnightand,evenwhilehoisting a few with him later,notawordwasmentionedabouthavingdonethis.Suchwasthequaintintegrityheportrayed…alwayssharingthegiftshewasgiven, whether storytelling orhis crowd-pleasing music. Maywealllearnfromhisways.”-SteveTennant,Perth,ON

“SomanyfromtheOttawaFolkFestival:TheshootingstarthatshotthroughtheskyoverBritanniaParkduringDonRoss’set on the main stage…Valdyquietly stepping out on stagewhileLynnMiles sang, joininghermid-song,inperfectharmo-nyatthemicrophone…Odetta’spowerfulvoiceringingoutoverasitethathadjustlostpowerdur-ingastorm,singinganacappellaversionof ‘ThisLittleLightofMine’,asfestivalgoerslitflash-lightsandshined themtowardthestage…MichaelFrantislip-ping off the main stage at theendofhis set into thearmsofthe waiting crowd…a daytimestageperformance,exploringthethemeofhumourinmusicwithNancyWhite,ArloGuthrieandMike(ArrogantWorms)McCor-mick,laughingtillithurt…andthe best memory of all: beingsevenmonthspregnant,co-host-ing the main stage of the veryfirst Ottawa Folk Festival in1994.Peoplestillaskmeaboutmy‘baby’…fifteenyearslater.”- Karen Flanagan McCarthy,Gatineau,QC

Funnymoments: “…huddled on a rock withabout 15 others around 4 a.m.[at Blue Skies Festival], com-pletewithstandupbass,banjos&cowboyhats...allofasuddensomeone falls offwithaboom,guitar in hand, only to get up

BEST FESTIVAL MEMORIES AND THE ‘BEYOND THE BASICS’ BACKPACK

again&playsomemore...thatrockwasn’tsobigwhenlookingatitthenextmorning…”- Lindsay Ferguson, Wakefield,QC

FestivalMust-Haves: “LastyearErinandOliverandIattendedtheShelterVal-ley Folk Festival for the firsttime.Oliver-nearingtwoyearsofageatthetime-wasalreadya seasoned veteran of folk fes-tivals,butitwasthefirsttimehe’d been with us for eveningperformancesasa‘fullyfledged’,full-speed, toddler, ever-readytoracearoundthefestivalsite.Aftersomenearcollisionswithunsuspectingpatronsonenight,Iwentoutandboughta smallLEDhiking/bikinglightandat-tachedittothebeltlooponthefrontofhisshorts.Irecommendtheredlightbecauseit’salittlesofter on the eyes and there-fore less disruptive for otherpatrons. Worked like a charm.Oliverbouncedaroundthesiteatdusk-andbeyond-withoutincident!Sosuccessfulwastheexperimentthatit’sapermanentfixtureonhiscoat.”-RichardDavis,Ottawa,ON

“Years ago, I discovered agreat way to stay cool duringthosehotterthanhot,can’t-es-cape-the-sun,daysatcherishedfestivals. Wet a piece of cloth(thebigger,thebetter;asarongworkswell)andwrapitaroundyou...yourshoulders,yourneck,over your head if the heat isextreme.Keepwettingitoften.But make sure it’s colour-fastbeforeyoudrapeitoveryourfabfestivalwear.Itreallyworks!Seeyouinthesun!”-TannisSlimmon,Guelph,ON

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Early Summer Festivals

Twisted Pines Music and Arts Festival - PenetanguisheneMay 9 – 19 Aneclectic rootsandbluesfestival, held in Penetanguish-eneandMidland,ontheshoresofbeautifulGeorgianBay.Thisyear’sthemeisMusicinMovies,acombinationoffilmscreeningsandlivemusicalacts.Performersinclude Dana LaCroix, DavidClark,DavidFinkle,HamellOnTrial,HeavyMetalinBaghdad,Lewis Melville, Manitoba Hal,MapleBluesRevue,PoGirl,Tan-nisSlimmon,WashboardHank& the Gravestone Lickers, theWholigans,andmanymore!

156CentreBeachRoad,RR#4,Penetanguishene,ONL9M2H7Phone:(705)527-7778Fax:(705)527-7771twistedpinesmusic@gmail.comwww.twistedpines.com

25th Annual Tottenham Bluegrass Festival – TottenhamJune 20 – 22 JoinusontheshorelineofTottenham Pond, in the pic-turesque village of Tottenhamfora special celebrationof our25th Anniversary. Ticket priceincludes rough camping withshowers and washrooms (ser-viced). There is also children’sentertainmentandatalentcon-test, Sunday gospel show, beefbarbecue,craftandfoodconces-sions. Bring your lawn chairand instruments for campfirepickin’.

P.O. Box 922, Tottenham, ONL0G1W0Phone:1(888)BLUGRAS,1(888)258-4727cofac@eol.cawww.tottenhambluegrass.ca

Harbourfront Centre World Routes 2008 Summer Events – TorontoJune 26 – September 1 Diveintoanewculturalex-perienceeverysummerweekendat Harbourfront Centre! Ourfreefestivalsshowcasethebestin Canadian and Internationalmusic, dance, theatre, film,foods,kids’activitiesandevery-thing in between! Visitors canshopandeatattheInternationalMarketplace andatTheWorldCafénestledalongsideanexten-sivewaterfrontboardwalk.

235QueensQuayWest,Toronto,ONM5J2G8Phone:(416)973-4000Fax:(416)973-8729info@harbourfrontcentre.comwww.harbourfrontcentre.com

City Roots Festival – TorontoJune 27 – 29 Toronto’sCityRootsFestivalistheevolutionofthefolkfesti-val,takingitoutoffarmersfieldsandruralsettingsandplacingitin the sophisticatedandurbansetting of Toronto’s colourfuland historic Distillery District.“City Roots convincingly ad-dresses the multi-cultural na-tureofthiscity”(TorontoStar).“City Roots is remarkable forthediversityofitsperformers”(TorontoLife).CityRootsdrawsmorethan8,000attendees.

8–601MagneticDrive,Toronto,ONM3J3J2office@torontocityroots.comwww.torontocityroots.com

Kingfest Music Celebration – NewmarketJune 28 – 29 After a stellar first year,Kingfest is gearing up for itssecond annual outdoor festivalin Newmarket, just north ofToronto and south of Barrie.KingfestistheonlyfestivalofitstypeinYorkRegion.Thefestivalfeaturesestablishedandemerg-ing artists of multiple genresinabeautiful,serenepark-likesetting. Come and enjoy theworkshops, main stage artists,avarietyofqualityfoodvendorsand artisan village. Early-birdweekendpassesareavailableatallTicketmasterlocations.

P.O.Box36,KingCity,ONL7B1A4Phone:(905)833-KINGinfo@kingfestmusic.comwww.kingfestmusic.com

TD Canada Trust Sunfest ’08: “Canada’s Premier Celebration of World Cultures” – LondonJuly 3 – 6 Celebrate the arrival ofsummerinstylewithCanada’spremier free-admission festivalof the global arts. In addi-tiontoover30topprofessionalworld music & dance and jazzensembles - everyone from Ni-geria’sSeunKuti&Egypt80toQuebec’sLeVentduNord–andmorethan225uniquefoodandcraft exhibitors, TD CanadaTrustSunfest‘08willfeatureasizzlingnewcomponententitled“Sunfest Fiesta: A Showcaseof Latin American Music &Dance”.

P.O.Box1063,London,ONN6A5K2Phone:519-672-1522Fax:519-672-6614info@sunfest.on.cawww.sunfest.on.ca

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Mariposa Folk Festival – OrilliaJuly 4 – 6 MariposaFolkFestivalcele-bratesits48thAnniversarywiththreeeveningsofconcertsonthemainstageandtwofulldaysofconcerts and music workshopsonsixsidestages.Artisan’sVil-lage,Folkplayforchildren,Em-porium,wideselectionoffoodforall tastes including vegetarian,MariposaPub,andmuchmore.

37MississagaStreetWest,Orillia,ONL3V3A5info@mariposafolk.comwww.mariposafolk.com

Northern Lights Festival Boréal – SudburyJuly 4 – 6 Come to our 37th annualcelebration and experience thebilingual, Aboriginal and mul-ticultural nature of NorthernOntario in a beautiful outdoorsetting. Since 1972, we’ve cel-ebrated music and arts on theshores of Lake Ramsey. Visitcrafters,vendors,andenjoytheperformances.Discovermagicaloutdoornightconcertswiththestarsabove.

19GreyStreet,Suite#3,Sudbury,ONP3E3L2Phone:(705)674-5512Fax:(705)671-1998festivaldirector@nlfbsudbury.comwww.nlfbsudbury.com

Canterbury Folk Festival – IngersollJuly 11 – 13 CanterburyFolkFestivalofIngersoll heads into its ninthyearJuly11-13withlotsofcraft-ersandmusicalartistssuchasJohnMcDermott,BettyandtheBobs,ScottDoyle,TiaMcGraff,Holmes Hooke, Magoo, BrownAle, Tuias of Montreal, PaulLangille, Ember Swift, JimmyLeeHoward,BobBurchill,KateAshbyCraft,andmanymore.

Come see and enjoy how asmalltownopensitsheartandgivesoneofthebestfreefestivalsCanadahastooffer.

122InnesStreet,Ingersoll,ONN5C2R8Phone:(519)485-6337ejc@rogers.comwww.canterburyfolkfestival.on.ca

Métis Arts Festival – TorontoJuly 12 – 13 AcelebrationofAboriginalmusic, dance and arts. Métis,First Nations and Inuit musi-ciansarefeaturedinthebeauti-ful 19th-century surroundingsatBlackCreekPioneerVillage.Enjoyfiddling,traditionaldrum-ming, dance and song. Viewdemonstrations and exhibitsof Aboriginal artistry, try tra-ditional foods and explore thehistoricvillage.

1000 Murray Ross Parkway,Toronto,ONM3J2P3Phone:(416)736-1733bcpvinfo@trca.on.cawww.blackcreek.ca

Festival du Loup – PenetanguisheneJuly 18 – 20 FestivalduLoupisacelebra-tionofFrancophonearts,cultureand heritage. Many activitiesincludingconcerts,games,artsandcraftsandrefreshmentswillenliventheweekend.ComeandhavefunatFestivalduLouponthethirdweekendofJuly(18th– 20th) in Penetanguishene,OntarioonthebeautifulbanksofGeorgianBay.Thereissome-thingforeveryone,socomeandhowlwithus!

343-B, rue Lafontaine Ouest,RR3, Penetanguishene, ONL9M1R3Phone:(705)533-3361leloup@csolve.netwww.festivalduloup.on.ca

Home County Folk Festival – LondonJuly 18 – 20 Join us for the celebrationof our 35th year! Based in thefolk tradition, Home CountyFolk Festival is a three-daymusic, dance and craft festivalindowntownLondon.Perform-ers confirmed to date includeNathan Rogers, Nathan, LukeDoucet, Melissa McClelland,Mose Scarlett, Jackie Wash-ington, Jenny Whiteley, JoeyWright, Brian MacMillan, JonBrooks, Pat Robitaille, BeyondthePale,PierreSchreyer,LightofEastEnsemble,JamesCum-mins, Alexandra Krakus. Freeadmission–donationsgratefullyaccepted.

HomeCountyFolkLeaguec/oLCRC,Unit115–652Eliza-bethSt.,London,ONN5Y6L3Phone:(519)432-4310Fax:(519)432-6299info@homecounty.cawww.homecounty.ca

Stewart Park Festival – PerthJuly 18 – 20 Celebratingits18thyear,theStewartParkFestivalispackedwithmorethan30live,FREE,outdoor concerts, as well as amultitude of workshops, chil-dren’sevents,afoodandartisanmarket and the ever popularafterhourspub-crawl.TheStew-artParkFestivalfeaturesavari-etyofmusicalstyles:fromfolktofunkandjazztoworld.LocatedinabeautifulparkindowntownheritagePerth,thisfestivalhastherightatmosphere.

34 Herriott Street, Perth, ONK7H1T2Phone:(613)264-1190Fax:(613)267-6797dhpbia@superaje.comwww.stewartparkfestival.ca

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Kala Manjari’s Indiafest – LondonJuly 25 – 26 Indiafest‘08remainsafreeand open-to-all event, July 25and26thattheCoventGardenMarket in downtown London,Ontario. In 2007, Indiafestbecamethelargestonedayfes-tivalintheCityofLondon,andfor this year, Indiafest ‘08 willbeexpandingoutdoorsandwillextendtotwodays.Wehaveaninnovative lineup of entertain-ment, arts and crafts and foodvendors,andwelookforwardtoanothergreatevent.

47 Doncaster Avenue, London,ONN6G2A1Phone:(519)473-1642Dev@KalaManjari.orgwww.kalamanjari.org

Hillside Festival – Guelph Lake IslandJuly 25 – 27 Held annually at GuelphLakeIsland,HillsideFestivalisa three-day, community-basedcelebrationofmusic,drummingandthespokenword.Wefeaturemusic performances and work-shops on five stages. We alsohostcommunityworkshopsanddemonstrationsatourEnviron-mentalExpo,Communitytent,Youth tent and the Women’stent.Thehanddrummingarea,AboriginalcircleandChildren’sArea have individual perfor-mancesaswellasworkshopsanddemonstrations. Hillside alsofeaturesanartisanmarketandaninternationalfoodpavilion.

123 Woolwich Street, Guelph,ONN1H3V1Phone:(519)763-6396Fax:(519)763-9514info@hillsidefestival.cawww.hillsidefestival.ca

Blue Skies Festival – ClarendonAugust 1 – 3 Blue Skies celebrates 35

years, featuring music in thewoods from around the cornerandaroundtheworld.Daytimemusicworkshops,awidearrayofinteractiveholisticworkshops,alivelychildren’sareaandnight-time concerts under the starsmakeBlueSkiesaveryspecialplace.Daypassesareavailableon a limited basis. CAMPINGPASSESAVAILABLEBYMAILINLOTTERY.

P.O. Box 2502, Clarendon, ONK0H1J0Phone:(613)279-2610

Mill Race Festival of Traditional Folk Music – CambridgeAugust 1 – 3 This year’s performers in-cludeCrucible(UK),RembetikaHipsters, Roger Scanurra &RitmoFlamenco,Zubrivka,Fox-tail,DeborahQuigley&Martin,Gould,SilkRoad,TiitKao,MelM’rabetEnsemble,Rallion(UK),Allison Lupton Band, JohnnyCollins,JimMageean&GraemeKnights(UK),DocRossi,RantMaggieRant,FarewelltoErin,Tethera,OakvilleAle&Sword,Cambridge Splinters, TorontoMorrisMen,OrangePeelMorris,ForestCityMorris&Sword,ZoetheClown,CrumblytheClown,Andrew Queen & the FuzzyFellers, Robert Davis, RelativeHarmony,Jake.

P.O. Box 22148, Galt CentrePostal Outlet, Cambridge, ONN1R8E3Phone:(519)621-7135mill_race@yahoo.comwww.millracefolksociety.com

Fergus Scottish Festival and Highland Games – FergusAugust 8 – 10 Interactive family celebra-tionofScottishculturefeaturingFridayNightTattoofollowedbyCelticrockbandSevenNations,pipebands, highland dancing,heavy events, Avenue of the

Clans, Heritage Tent, Geneal-ogy, McKiddles Centre, Celticmusic, and international ven-dors.PerformersincludeJohnnyReid,TheCunninghams,SonsofMaxwell,TomLeadbeater,TheTown Pants, Sandy McIntyre& Steeped in Tradition, KelticKudzu, Everything Fitz, andfiddlerBenRutz.Childrenunder13free.

398 St. Andrew Street West,Fergus,ONN1M1N9Phone:(866)871-9442info@fergusscottishfestival.comwww.fergusscottishfestival.com

The Goderich Celtic Roots Festival – GoderichAugust 8 – 10 Inits16thyear,theGoderichCelticRootsFestivalcelebratesthefolkmusic,danceandcraftart traditions of Ireland, Scot-land,WalesandothercountriesincludingCanada.Thisyear,wewillexplorenewCelticnations,includingtheShetlandIslands.Enjoyworkshopsandhands-oncraftsamidstourheavilytreedparkoverlookingLakeHuron.

Box171,Goderich,ONN7A3Z2Phone:(519)524-8221Fax:(519)524-5790festival@celticfestival.cawww.celticfestival.ca

6th Annual Live From the Rock Folk Festival – Red RockAugust 8 – 10 Celebrate music and theartsontheshoresoftheworld’slargestlake!Comebywateranddockand/orcampon-site.Camp-groundsopenThursdayatnoon;campground jam sessions eachevening with workshop stagesbeginningFridaymorning.Fourworkshop stages; main stageperformances; a family area;artisan’svillage;foodboothsand

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marketplace ensure somethingfor everyone. For ticket info,lineupandschedulecheckwww.livefromtherock.com.

P.O. Box 448, Red Rock, ONP0T2P0Phone:(807)886-2741info@livefromtherock.comwww.livefromtherock.com

13th Trout Forest Music Festival – Ear FallsAugust 8 – 10 Celebrating its 13th an-niversary in 2008, the festivalis located at the Ear Falls Wa-terfront Park, just one hournorth of Vermillion Bay onHighway 105. Camping on theshoresoftheEnglishRiver,latenight jams around the bonfirebeneaththebeautifulnorthernlights. Workshops, swimming,greatfood,artisans,friendsandfamily – all join together for amemorable experience amongthe beautiful backdrop of theTrout Lake Forest. Catch theTrout,It’sMusicintheWoods!

P.O.Box372,EarFalls,ONP0V1T0Phone:(807)222-2404trout@troutfest.comwww.troutfest.com

TWO ROADS HOME – Bryan Williston and Abby Zotz – release their new CD

Sweet ShadowsFeaturing James Gordon, Geoff Somers,

David Woodhead, Katherine Wheatley, Rick Roy, Alyssa Wright and Duncan Cameron. Produced by TRH and James Gordon

“A lovely CD – their voices feel like they were made for each other

– the musicianship is top drawer.”- Steve Clark -Acoustic Planet

Please visit: www.tworoadshome.com for more information

CD tour ad-v2.indd 1 3/14/08 8:55:31 AM

Check out the rest of our Summer festival line-ups in the next issue of Folk Prints. For a complete list-ing of our member festivals please visit www.ocff.ca

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Eachyear,themembershipof the OCFF honours an indi-vidualorgroupwhohasmadeasignificantlifelongcontributiontothefolkmusiccommunityinOntario. The award is namedforEstelleKlein,whoseworkasapresenterandprogrammerofmusic defined what many con-sidertobethebasicfestivalblue-print. As the Artistic DirectorformanyyearsattheMariposaFolkFestival,Estelleusheredininnovative ideas forworkshopsand festival organization thatare still used by many festivalmembers of the OCFF today.

Shewasaleaderandteacherinourcommunitythroughallthedaysofherlife.Itisfittingthateach year we select a memberorgroupfromtheOntariocom-munitytoshowourgratitudefortheirlifeofserviceandnamethecelebrationinEstelle’shonour. IneightyearsofpresentingthisawardattheannualOCFFConference, we have had theprivilege of celebrating gener-ousindividualswhohavegivenso much to music in Ontario,whetheritisthroughmanyin-spiredrecordingsorthroughca-pacitybuildingandtheadvance-

The Estelle Klein Award - by Paul Loewenberg

mentofourmusicindustry. EstelleKleinAwardnomina-tionformsareavailableonlineatwww.ocff.ca.Nominatesomeonetoday!DeadlineforapplicationsisMay9th.

2000–Estelle Klein2001–Jackie Washington2002–Ian Tamblyn2003–Friends of Fiddler’s Green2004–Sylvia Tyson2005–Ken Whiteley2006–Richard Flohil2007–Stan Rogers

OCFF GREEN TEAM by Ellen Hamilton

TheGreenTeamisupandrunningandmakingplansforamore environmentally respon-sible OCFF organization andconference. Some of our ideasinclude reducing waste, elimi-natingbottledwater,improvingdigitalcommunicationsandpro-motingenergyconservation. The Green Team is coor-dinated by an advisory GreenCommitteeoftheOCFFBoard.AnyonecanbepartoftheOCFFGreen Team and share ideas.Email Board Director EllenHamilton at lfrog@kingston.nettojoin.AGreenGuidetotheConferencewillbedistributedtoallOCFFmembersandconfer-enceparticipantsinthecomingmonths.Herearesomeideasforournextconference: CONFERENCE GREENSITE:We’llhaveawell-markedGreen Site at the conferencewhereyouwillfindinformationaboutourgreeninitiatives.We’ll

also have information aboutenvironmentallyfriendlymusic-relatedproductsandservices. LIMITINGPOSTERS:TheOCFF Board is in the processofestablishingposteringguide-

linesfortheconferencethatwillinclude limitingthenumberofpostersperartistandensuringthere are designated posteringsites throughout the confer-ence space. We think this is a

DidyouknowthattheOCFFserverissolarpowered?

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Marlene D’Aoust, Calgary, AB

Peter Mandic, Fergus, ON

Chrissy Steinbock, Ottawa, ON

Scott MacPherson, Napanee, ON

Vicky MacPherson, Napanee, ON

John MacPherson, Napanee, ON

Ian MacPherson, Napanee, ON

Shawna Caspi, Toronto, ON

Andrew Hermant, Toronto, ON

Pete Janes, Toronto, ON

Abraham Drennan, Bancroft, ON

Vicki McNaney, Orillia, ON

Greg Cockerill, Calgary, AB

Mario Pronovost, Iroquois, ON

win-winsolutionforartistsandwillreducethewastecausedbyover-postering. If everyone co-operates,itwillbemucheasiertoseealloftheartists’postersforofficial,privateandguerrillashowcases. We encourage post-ers to be printed on recycled,chemical-freepaper.LookfortheposteringguidelinesinthesoontobereleasedGreenGuidetotheConference. WATER: We encouragethe use of reusable containersandwillhavewater-filling sta-tionsthroughouttheconferencearea. WASTE: We encourage ev-eryonetothinkaboutreducingwasteatthisyear’sconference.We’ll have recycling stationsthroughouttheconferencesite. INSTRUMENT STRINGCOLLECTION: Start saving

NeW MeMBerS

your used (unbroken) stringsas we’ll be collecting stringsof all kinds at the conference.Just bring used strings, coiledandlabeled(preferablyintheiroriginalpackage),anddropthemoffattheGreenSite.We’llmakesuretheygetinthehandsofmu-sicians who need them. Pleaseindicateifthestringsarenylon,steelorbrass-wound. RIDE SHARE: We encour-agesharingridesandwillpostinformationoncollectivetravelto the conference on the web-site. Theseareonlysomeoftheideaswehavetomakethiscon-ferencealittlelessstressfulontheplanet.Lookformoreinfor-mationinthemonthstocome,including news about a somegreatpanelsandworkshops.Inthe meantime, join the Green

Team and share your ideas byemailing:lfrog@kingston.net.Thanks!TheOCFFGreenCom-mittee Ellen Hamilton, SubaSankaran, Candace Shaw, BevMills,TinaDesroches

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So,bynowyou’veprobablybooked most of the talent foryourfestival’sstages.Thefoodconcessionairesandcraftvillagepartnersareonboard.Now,thebrainstorming must begin forentertaininganothervarietyoframbunctiousfestival-goer–thekids. Ultimately,ofcourse,toat-tractyouthparticipants,activi-tiesandeventsneedtoofferanelement of fun. To some, thismaymeananamusinganden-ergetic game or, to others, thequiet enjoyment of learning anew skill. By programming acombination of both hands-onand minds-on activities andevents,theTottenhamBluegrassFestivalhasbeenabletocreateachildren’sareathatdrawstheyoung and even the young-at-heart. Four main activities andevents form the TottenhamPharmasave Bluegrass Kidzprogram:• BluegrassSurvivor(a team-oriented,task-focused mission),• MakeYourOwnInstrment (acreativecraft),• atalentshow(afriendly skillscompetition),and• watergames(as recreationalpastimes). Eachactivityandeventof-fersadifferenttypeof interac-tiveplayfromactivetopassive,silly to studious, loud toquiet,and social to solo. Prizes aregivennotonly forwinningbutalso for behaving properly andparticipating. One of the more complexactivities to organize and runis Bluegrass Survivor, wherechildren are split into teams,

Programming for the Playful: Successful Children’s Activities & Events by Jessica Van Dusen

eachcompetingtofinishalistoftasksfirst.Someofthesemini-missions includecreatingteambandanaswithbrightly-colouredfabrics (tohelpdistinguish thedifferent groups), relay races,building the tallest tower outof marshmallows and tooth-picks, which melt in the heat,and many more. It “has quiteadraw”,accordingtocoordina-torsTraceyTeasdaleandAlisonDresser. Another popular activity,MakeYourOwnInstrument,letskidscreatetheirowninstrumentandthenjoininandplayalongwiththechildren’sentertainers.Participants are encouraged tobe imaginativewhenusing thefound objects supplied such asbottles,cardboardrolls,elastics,pasta,rice,andstickers. Thetalentshowalsoattracts“ahugeaudienceofallages”,sayTeasdaleandDresser.Itisopentoallfestivalattendeesupto16yearsofageandconsistsofthreeagegroups.Eachparticipantisallowedoneparentorguardiantoassistonstage.

Lastly, to help beat thesummer heat, water gamessuch as Sponge Tag are “a hitwith everyone, including ourvolunteers”, remark TeasdaleandDresser.Set-upandstrike-down are minimal, requiringaboutfivebucketsofwaterandafewpackagesofsoftsponges.The rules are simple: one per-son isdesignated“it”andthatpersonmustrunaroundandtrytotouchsomeoneelsewiththesponge, thereby making them“it”,andsoitcontinuesuntilthewaterrunsout.Forcolderdays,justomitthewater! And,ifallelsefails,atrea-surechestofgamesandtoysiskeptnearby. For more information onany of these programs pleasevisit www.freewebs.com/blue-grasskids or contact TraceyTeasdale and Alison Dresser,Coordinators,TottenhamBlue-grassKidz,bye-mailattotten-hambluegrasskidz@yahoo.ca.

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Nestledintheheartofcot-tage country, on the shores ofbeautifulGeorgianBay,TwistedPinesisamulti-culturalmusicand arts festival showcasingAboriginal,Métis,andFranco-phoneperformersandartisans. FoundedadecadeagoasawaytorevitalizeNorthSimcoeCounty,this10-dayeclecticrootsand blues event reflects thearea’smarineheritageinsong,with sea shanties, maritimeballads,jigsandreels.Italsoat-temptstopreservetheregion’snaturalheritagethroughavari-etyofcommunitycollaborationsandenvironmentalefforts.

Twisted Pines Music & Arts Festival by Jessica Van Dusen

Featuringapproximately35performances,anewthematictwist for the Pines this yearwill be Music in Movies – acombinationoffilmscreeningsand livemusicalacts.Kickingoff all this action, the featurefilm Amazing Journey: TheStoryof theWho, followedbythe rock-opera Tommy andmore classic hits performedbytheWholigans.OtherfilmsincludeKurtCobain,AboutASon,MansaSissoko’sRoad toBaleya, La Vie En Rose, JoyDivision&Control,SongSungBlue, Les ChansonsD’Amour,Joe Strummer: The Future is

Uncertain,AmazingGrace,andmanymore. TheTwistedPinesMusic&ArtsFestivalwilltakeplaceMay9th to 19th in PenetanguisheneandMidland,both indoorsandout;onlandandboat.ItcloseswithaliverecordingbyCanadi-ansupergroupTheMapleBluesRevue. This year’s festival isdedicatedtothemusic,memoryandspiritofWillieP.Bennett. For more information pleasevisit www.twistedpines.com orcontactPaulNorthcottat(705)527-7778orbye-mailattwisted-pinesmusic@gmail.com.

View From the Stage: A Showcasing Artist’s Perspective on CMW by Angie Nussey

Everyfestivalhasanenergy.At Canadian Music Week thisyear, there was a comforting,yet exciting energy. Smart andenthusiasticpeopleweregettingtogethertotalkaboutthefutureof the music industry. When IshowcasedatCMWin2003,thatelusive“giantcarrot”seemedtobeloomingaroundeverycorner.At that time, among artists,there was still a longing to beheardbythe“right”setofears.Itwasbelievedthatthisoneper-son could then skyrocket yourcareertoitsmaximumpotential.Consequently,thecompetitiontobeheardbythese“right”-earedcharacters made the energy ofthe Festival more intense andresulted in a somewhat disap-pointingend.

CMW2008didnothavethisenergy.It isacomforttothinkthatartistsandbusinesspeople(inmanycases–onepersonwithtwo roles) are trying to makethisbusinesssustainableforthefuture. It’s taken a long timeto realize that there is no oneset of ears that will magicallytransportyourcareertothenextlevel.Ittakes10,000setsofears.And,fortunately,we’reinanerawherewehavethecapabilities(ifwecanlearntousethemprop-erly)tobeheardbythem. Our (my and the band’s)showcasewasheldatHolyJoe’sabove a much bigger venuecalled“TheReverbRoom.”TheReverb Room was packed fullof young kids with extremelyerectandcolourfulhairdos.Thebouncertookonelookatmeand

said“HolyJoe’sisatthebackofthebuilding.”(Iguessmyone-tonehaircolourgavemeaway.)Ourshowcasestartedat11p.m.We waited until 10:56 p.m. forthe drummer to arrive fromanother showcase performance– introducing another form ofexcitingenergyprevalentinthesinger/songwriterworld.Despitethe unbelievably loud musiccoming fromtheReverbRoombelow,theshowwentreallywell.Weperformedinfrontof25won-derfullysupportivelisteners,thekindofearsIalwayslovetobeheardby. All in all, I left this year’sCMWshowcaseandconferencewith a little bit of knowledge,a littlebitofexperience,andawhole lot of hope. Only 9, 975moresetsofearstogo.

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Musicians currently findthemselves in an exciting andempowering position. I think Ispeakonbehalfofalotofsinger-songwriters when I say thatwhatwewantmostofallissim-plytobeabletowritesongsandtoperformthemtoappreciativeaudiences. The existing musi-cal landscape seems tobemostconducive to making this hap-pen:neverbeforehasrecordingandpromotinganalbumbeenamore hands-on activity for theartist.Theresultisagenerationofmusicians,agents,promoters,managers, producers, etc. dedi-cated first and foremost to thequalityoftheart–oneofthefewconstants in a rapidly evolvingmusicalworld. Giventhisreality,showcaseopportunitiestakeonanewsig-nificance.Itistherewheremusicpeople gather from across theworldwithonecommoninterest:discovering new music. Hav-ing the opportunity to performone’smaterialtoaroomfullofcuriousandconnectedearsisaninvaluableopportunity,andonethat seems tohave thepositivedominoeffectofopeningupmoreandmoreperformanceavenues. TheFolkAllianceconferenceisoneoftheseopportunities.Inaddition to hundreds of musi-cians,itattractslabels,promot-ers,radiohosts,bookingagents,managers,andproducers,nottomentionthepeoplewhojustcomefor the good music and cheer.Upon arriving at the MemphisMarriotthotel (where the2008conference took place), I wasemphaticallyreassuredthatthecurrentmusicsceneisalivelikea healthy city. Indeed, you can

Ontario Folk and Roots Music in Memphis… By Kyrie Kristmanson

walkthroughtheupstairsfloorsofthehotelduringthenightandwitnesseveryroomtransformedintoaminiaturedistrict,withitsown musical culture and tradi-tion. AndthereIfoundmyself,acuriousandeven“exotic”Cana-dianonthebanksoftheMissis-sippi. I registered and exploredthehotelandsoonbumpedintotheOCFF,theorganizationwhowas, in part, sponsoring myshowcase.Iwasimmediatelytak-enundertheirwing,introducedto various talent scouts fromacross theworld, andgenerallyjustlookedafter.Itouchedbasewith the OCFF representativesregularlythroughouttheconfer-enceandwasalways impressedbythefriendlyandsincerewaytheypromotedtheCanadiantal-ent. Iwasproud,infact,tobeas-sociatedwiththeOCFFandalltheotherCanadianartists.Dur-ingtheweekend,itbecamecleartomethatmusiciansinCanadaaresomeofthemostrisk-taking,innovativeanddedicatedandtherepresentatives fromtheOCFFon “Canadian night” matchedthat spirit: in a lively displayof the Canadian temperament,accompaniedbyaklezmer trio,they waved the Canadian ban-ner,offeredfoodanddrinktoallandpromotedtheCanadianart-ists’showcaseswithwell-craftedsupport materials. Their spiritenergized the entire event andhelpedfill,Ibelieve,theseatsofmyshowcasethattookplacethesamenight. I encourage all musiciansdedicatedtotheirsongstoapplyforashowcaseattheFolkAlli-

ance conference. It’s true thattheworldofmusicisprogressinginallkindsofnewdirections,butone of the things that remainsconstantisthecourageittakes:courage to expose your soul,couragetobeloyaltoyoursongs,couragetotravelallaroundtheworldpromotingthemandcour-agetoalignyourselfwithpeoplewhoshareyourvision.TheFolkAllianceprovidesanexcitingop-portunity to test your spirit atoneofthehighestdivingboardsofshowcasingopportunities:ter-rifying,atfirst,butexhilaratingandrewardingonceyou’vetakentheleap. ForfurtherdetailsabouttheFolk Alliance Conference, pro-gramsandservices,pleasevisitwww.folk.org. This year, the Ontario Coun-cil of Folk Festivals (through the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage and the SOCAN Foun-dation) presented and promoted seven fabulous acts from Ontario – Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Treasa Levasseur, Jayme Stone Quartet, Kobo Town, People Project, Kyrie Kristmanson and the Undesirables – at the 20th annual Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis, TN. If you have not seen every one of these artists, make it your mission this spring and summer.

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