The flavor of the week.

As we sit and consider our own marketing for the Philadelphia Folk Festival, I was so happy that a friend sent me a link to what has become my new favorite website:

YourLogoMakesMeBarf.com

My personal favorite barf logo:


Continental! Tell me what you think...

The professional

Here at the Philadelphia Folksong Society, we have officially announced two of the toppermost names at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, August 14-16, 2009 at Old Pool Farm in Schwenksville, PA. (banjo head roll please...)

The Decemberists


The Derek Trucks Band


They, along with other new acts West Philadelphia Orchestra and Shannon Lambert-Ryan with RUNA, are joining a pretty unbelievable lineup of acts:

Alela Diane


Del McCoury



and more: Adrien Reju, Boris Garcia, Caravan of Thieves, Chris Kasper, Ellis Paul, Enter The Haggis, Erik Mongrain, Frog Holler, Gene Shay, Joe Pug, Justin Townes Earle, Langhorne Slim, Marissa Nadler, Rebirth Brass Band, Sara Hickman, Slo-Mo featuring Mic Wrecka, Sonny Landreth, The Folk Brothers, Tom Rush, Tony Trischka, Wissahickon Chicken Shack, Women in Docs, Works Progress Administration, Zach Djanikian

Get discounted tickets at folkfest.org now

The personal

While I was camping a few weeks ago, my great friend Spence died. He was humble, friendly, curious, open-minded, and carefree. And he was a dog.

When we adopted him just before Thanksgiving 2007, I thought that for the most part I was chiefly trying on the cloak of kindness. It was a simple move with the purpose of rescuing an animal. Then I get this California surfer dude of a dog with bleach blonde hair and a zenlike perspective on his own sentience. He was only 2, and I will surely miss him.

This is him with a cup on his nose.
It was good ride, boy.













Spence 2007-2009

a new blog life

This is a new day. I will blog more:

-consistently
-engaged-ly
-personnally

Keep checking back. Don't leave me now.

Peg Leg Sam had it worse than you...

A few months back, my flatmate Zach came in ecstatic about a website that promotes folk culture, folklore, music, and Appalachian life. He played a video called "Born for Hard Luck"-a doozy of a short film documentary about Peg Leg Sam Jackson.

Talk about a fascinating life. Peg Leg was severely injured by a train-hop gone bad. His face was mutilated, his leg amputated, and his story...enriched.

The video, which you can see by clicking here, follows Peg Leg through the American South, as he sells snake oil and wins over hometowns with his insane harmonica jives and illegible speech.

I rave about this to Seth Holzman, harmonica virtuoso and music teacher here at Philadelphia Folksong Society and Seth informs me that Peg Leg came through the area, and even played our very own Philadelphia Folk Festival. Here is a shot, where you can see the man and the myth, and the classic homemade Philly Folk fence:

It's a good time to be a Philadelphian

Last night, as I swooped around a pole on the North side of city hall, and looked around at so many smiling, high-fiving, statue-climbing Philadelphian denizens, I felt very alive. Philadelphia is first at something.

The sentiment is usually the force that makes me lean away from sports-the inherent conquering motif. Last night, though, it was hard to abandon the feeling of distinct deservedness that came with the Phillies World Series win. Not to mention, baseball has a semantic quality more rich than proverbial apple pie.

Today, with little sleep, I feel unusually alive in tackling some of the problems that face my work in the arts world. Folk arts are underfunded, economic pundits claim that every arts association will be hit harder than other industry organizations, and music education is diminishing. But I won't be beaten by this.

We are the champions...

I am looking forward to this upcoming show, and the beginning to a partnership with Allen's Lane Art Center.

Music for every Philadelphia child!

I have been kept from sleep for many nights this week. Philadelphia schools, despite recent claims for change, continue to lose music and arts education programs by (give or take) 20% every year. At times of economic uncertainty, audiences attend less performances, arts organizations are hit hard, and undoubtedly, schools cut music and arts education.

Despite research and evidence that suggests that music and arts engage the spatial-temporal neurons of the brain, raise test scores, and help with important developments in the brain, it seems like many seem to buy in to the idea that music and arts are subsidiary. I disagree. And I would love to see the Philadelphia Folksong Society lead a charge to help make music and arts available to every single child in Philadelphia.

It is a lofty endeavor. It will require a coalition involvement of arts organizations; families; churches, synagogues, and mosques; school administrators; foundations; corporations; artists; and others. Uniting such groups can prove especially daunting, but the alternative is devastating. By partnering, Philadelphia could send a clear message that arts are too important to be swept aside.

A coalition plan could see individuals and organizations 1) building awareness about our concerns and 2) implementing programs to change the contextual framework of music and arts education. The coalition would build awareness at arts and cultural events. What is more, an implementation plan would involve schools and principals as well as community artists offering free or affordable music and arts classes outside of schools.

The connection for the Philadelphia Folksong Society is obvious. Not only is education a focal point of our mission, but folk arts call on the person-to-person interaction that such a coalition effort would require. My entire world-view and thought processes have been altered and shaped by my understanding of music. Now it is time to come together and build a cultural landscape that can carry into every facet of Philadelphia life.

It's more than cheesesteaks and cream cheese here.