on the subject of first things

And so starts my first week at the Philadelphia Folksong Society. In the reversed words of Eliot: "not with a whimper, but with a bang." I am virtually swimming in a decades worth of archived records, thoughts, emotions, hopes, and shared musical experiences. It is a peculiar experiment in thrusting someone like myself that cares so much about the future of folk music, and amongst a member base of folks that have been extrememly involved with the evolution folk music in the Greater Philadelphia area for the last 50 years.

I fear I must learn by fire the insane task of bringing structure (implementing policies, evaluating programs, developing funds) to the unstructurable (a campfire jam, the claw of 5 fingers across a banjo, a gypsy train hopper selling homemade soap). And yet I take heart as I sit in an office, where one would think that only sterile activities occur, and I am delving into the organic. At the moment, I am surrounded by music that will be at this years Philadelphia Folk Festival (currently, "Dying Breed" by Allison Moorer...so good), friends that share in the passion of forging this ship ahead (thank you Justin Nordell for coming on board as program manager, and to Matt for showing just where to hit the fax machine to make it work), and the encouragement of so many Society members, board members, and chairpersons that have called in the first week.

The "thank you"s are already too numberable to mention, but I must say that I am delighted that Lisa Schwartz is a working President, who gives days out of her week to make sure, one may say, that the songs don't stop being sung. I have had the experience to work in the non-profit world for the better part of the last decade, but I am truly anticipating the work that Philadelphia Folksong Society can accomplish in the near future.

I hope this blog will serve as a spot to pontificate my thoughts and musings, whether you are a festival attendee, Society member, volunteer, personal friend or family member. Please share your comments and hullabaloo!

Good vibes your way...