International Folk Alliance-February 2009
The 2009 Folk Alliance in Memphis Feb 18-22 was a great time and place to host Todd’s Musical Petting Zoo. We held the children’s program right in the lobby of the Marriott with some of the sweetest kids you’ll find anywhere. The little girl playing the fiddle found her picture in the Memphis newspaper, good publicity for the Folk Alliance Conference and DiaToddNics.
The toddler “playing” the autoharp is Sophie Guthrie, Woody Guthrie’s great-granddaughter. She didn’t come to the petting zoo, but her Aunt Ann Guthrie played a showcase with a young folk musician named Sam, who played the autoharp in their set. Little Sophie crawled right up on stage and stole the show with her autoharping. Sam later was one of the many professional musicians to visit the Petting Zoo booth in the exhibition hall. He’d never seen or played a diatonic or a luthier autoharp before, so it was a real ear-opener for him and many other professionals, who made their way down to our exhibit.
We weren’t very large in comparison to the Martin and Taylor Guitar Exhibits, but Fladmark, Choi, d’Aigle, Hollandsworth, Schreiber, Orthey, et al were well represented and had their autoharps played by some pretty darn good musicians. The Folk Alliance is a musical party and extravaganza that goes on day and night for 5 straight days. Wonderful organization and folks. Andy Cohen was a familiar, friendly face.
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Dulcimore and Washington Folk Festival
The next big festival in May was the Dulcimore Festival in Lisbon Ohio put on by the inimitable Bill Schilling and his Ducli-more Club. Wonderful laid back Memorial Day weekend with performers like Bill Staines, Maddie MacNeil, Les G-Z, and Mustard’s Retreat to keep us well entertained.
The following weekend was the big Washington Folk Festival at the National Landmark Glen Echo Park. Busiest petting zoo ever with a nonstop avalanche of kids parents coming by the old Spanish Ballroom Foyer to sample all the instruments. “Home to the table and home to the feast where the last are the first and the greatest are the least.” The feast of instruments set on the tables really did give the children a chance to be first as we grown-up musicians became the least.
Music in the Churchyard
Here is good ol’ Gypsy Rose, my home for the next several months. She’s been outfitted to carry instruments for DiaToddNics Musical Petting Zoos from Virginia to Vancouver. Rigged up like the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria to sail into the Western horizon, she’s been tested in sea trials and found seaworthy. Now to discover if the world is flat or sharp or if it’s been in perfect tune all along.
Check in here from time to time for a progress report. First stop is Music in the Churchyard at the Historic Old Christ Church out on Virginia’s Northern Neck Saturday June 13, 2009. Son Christopher will be on hand to see old Dad off by reprising the pretty good little duo we used to have back in the day. At age 12, he could read my puzzling musical mind and make me sound a lot better than I was. He’s quite the musician.
Then it is on to the Albuquerque Folk Festival in the enchanted land of New Mexico. Will be there, set up, and ready to go when the gates open Friday June 19, 2009. Now Gyspy Rose, keep sailing toward those beautiful Western skies.
Son Christopher met me in Kilmarnock for the Historic Old Christ Church Festival organized, in part, by old Common Ground friends Trish and David Geeson. Chris is a music teacher and a fine winds player, so I just turn over he flutes, recorders, didgeridoos, etc. to him and he takes over. It was nice to see him for a pre-Father’s Day get together before I set off across country. We played a set together like old times.
Tuesday June 16: Hard to believe just three days ago I was playing in the old churchyard of beautiful Historic Christ Church out on the Northern Neck of Virginia. Small but enthusiastic crowd and wonderful hosting by friends David and Trish Geeson, and their friends Dave and Dianne. Common Grounders all and great fans/players of folk and old time music. Special treat was the appearance of son Christopher to see me off and perform with me again for probably the first time since he was in high school. Now a classically trained tenor and expert recorder and Native American flute player, he definitely upstaged old Dad.
On the Road to Albuquerque
On my way west I camped overnight in Okemah OK, hometown of Woody Guthrie. In the morning I took Woody’s picture, or his statue’s, in the little park belatedly commemorating his life in the town. So, here is Woody’s picture reunited with his Sophie, his great-granddaughter from the Folk Alliance in February.
Eventually made it to the Albuquerque Folk festival, a wonderful two day community event with workshops, jamming areas, open stages, band scrambles, etc. for everyone. The picture just shows the set-up, but not the constant river of folks interested in petting all the instruments. Nice, nice festival.
On the road with the sunrise Sunday morning and now here I am in beautiful New Mexico from the land of pleasant living to the land of enchantment in three days. Couldn’t get much better. 200 miles to Albuquerque and the Albuquerque Folk Festival, next stop on the Odyssey. I hear Lucille Reilly will be on hand to teach hammer dulcimer. I’ll have the Instrument Petting Zoo and Autoharp Workshop and a stage appearance in there somewhere.
Greetings from the RV Highway, USA. DiaToddNics Autoharp Roadshow and Musical Petting Zoo is moving right along in that good ol’ vessel The Gypsy Rose. I think me Irish ancestors must have been tinker stock because the traveling life suits me fine. I tried reading all the RV manuals before I left, but learning on the fly with the help of other RVers in the campgrounds has proven to be more valuable. At least now I can take a hot, albeit short shower in the morning.
Left the Historic Old Christ Church near Kilmarnock VA 10 days ago where I helped Common Ground friends Trish and David get their little festival off the ground, then crossed the Mississippi with the light of dawn and made it into New Mexico for the Albuquerque Folk Festival last weekend.
Albuquerque Folk Festival
What a nice festival in the state fairgrounds in downtown Albuquerque…lovely adobe educational buildings, plenty of shade trees and a community activist spirit with something to do for musicians and fans of all ages and abilities. The main stage with performers like Tish Hinajosa was co-equal with the many jamming and workshop tents
The Petting Zoo ran from morning ’til night with scarcely a lull in the action. Plenty of interest in the autoharps and mountain dulcimers with lots of kids and adults trying instruments new and familiar to them. Am I glad Pete d’Aigle delivered my new Evo Sparrowharp to Gary, the AFF organizer, so it was there when I arrived. Proved to be a big hit with the children and smaller women.
The most moving musician was a stroke victim with the use of only his right arm, who played some of the loveliest tunes on the little Celtic harp. Nice nice gentleman.
Finally at 8:00 Sat evening I taught my autoharp workshop over in one of the workshop tents. Ambitiously carted a dozen G/D Diatonics over and needed just about everyone. We played in D in the half hour of daylight we had left and switched to G when it got to dark too see. Excellent ear and touch training, playing Doc Watson-style under a New Mexico moonless night.
I’m keeping a tally of the never -before-played-an-autoharp folks getting their first exposure on this tour. Between Dulci-More and Albuquerque we’re up to 36.
On the Road to Winnipeg
Taking my time getting to Winnipeg. I’ll be there a week from Sunday for the opening of the Folk Academy, a little school they have in town a few days before the big Winnipeg Folk Festival, which draws over 40,000 people from across Canada and the U.S.
During the Festival I’ll have the Petting Zoo in the Folk School Tent from 11:00am to 2:00 pm Fri-Sun. In the afternoons the Folk School gets taken over by some high powered workshops taught by festival headliners, so I won’t have an autoharp workshop during the festival itself. But I will be teaching diatonic autoharp at the Folk Academy in the days just prior to the festival.
After Winnipeg, it’s across the Canadian plains and Rockies to the Vancouver Festival.
Meet you farther on up the road
I’ve got a song to sing and a dream to hold
I’ll meet you farther on up the road.
tc
Living a dream. Winnipeg and Vancouver over the horizon. Gypsy Rose holding up well…fingers crossed.
Winnipeg Folk Retreat
If it plays in Peoria…the autoharp plays in Winnipeg!
Fifteen G/D ‘harps laid out and 20 highly motivated Canadian (mostly) musicians show up for their first contact with an autoharp. I taught the class in the parlor of this beautiful old Victorian housing the UU Church and the Folk Retreat. It was the perfect setting and introduction to our favorite little parlor instrument.
The hour flew by. The basics of rhythm and song accompaniment in a few minutes and on to covering different modes and and chord progressions staying in the single key of D.
Not disputing other approaches, but since I started on a one key Bryan Bowers ‘harp with six chords, that’s where I’m most comfortable introducing the autoharp. The Diatonic Six kept a class full of accomplished musicians pretty busy for the whole hour. We never did make it into G, although the ‘harps are set up for it.
It all went better than I could have expected and maybe helped open up this fertile musical area to other autoharp instructors in the future. The fiddle, banjo, guitar, songwriting, etc classes are going on all week, but my work is done except for leaving the ‘harps out where the musicians can take them off on their own or get some one on one time. They’re kept pretty busy here with their other classes, but some ‘harps are already claimed for the day.
I also tried to recognize the many luthiers and provide ordering information or ways to customize factory ‘harps. I didn’t discredit the chromatic and tried to present a balanced picture of the pros and cons of diatonic vs. chromatic. I played a bluesy song on my Diachromic to illustrate the kind of music a chromatic can open up, but I think you need the get some basics down first, which to me means knowing how the I/ii/iii/IV/V/vi chords all fit together.
Anyhoo that’s my approach and it seemed to play in Winnipeg, a great musical town.
Winnipeg Folk Festival
By the time we got to Winnipeg we were 50,000 strong with Arlo Guthrie singing the penultimate set, evoking the spirits of Woody, Leadbelly, Woodstock and so much that has gone before. His Canadian “This Land” in the waning prairie light had us all singing “from the Arctic Circle to the Great Lake waters, this land was made for you and me.” 
For a folk festival that was mostly world and alternative music, Arlo’s solo acoustic set helped me to remember what a folk singer is. The music was a musical feast, too much really to take in. so many sounds, so many artists, young and old celebrating the return of summer, the forecast of a brighter future and the joy of living.
The Petting Zoo was just a small corner, but we had 100s of kids, young and old, coming through each day to pet the instruments and hang out in the “Folk School” first out of the wind and rain, then out of the summer sun. The Autoharp Play Station display drew a constant variety of curious onlookers and thoroughly enchanted first time players. Probably gave more 1st time mini-lessons in 3 days than at any time before.
CBS radio came by for an interview and asked me to play something with a didgeridoo player who happened to be standing there. About the only song I could think of was the first Bryan taught me many years ago, a passable melody version of “You Are My Sunshine,” world music-style in keeping with the festival spirit.
Then a TV documentary crew came by the next day and filmed all that joyful musical merriment in action and took a long pan shot of all those beautiful luthier autoharps laid out on the table.
Time’s a-wasting. See you farther on up the road in Vancouver.
Road to Vancouver
Packed up and left Winnipeg after Arlo’s concert last Sunday and headed West. Yesterday was the hump day making Vancouver from Calgary in something like 15 hours. Rockies too beautiful to speed through, but wanted to see Vancouver before the festival this weekend.
Gypsy Rose got a much deserved day of rest, while I took Sky Train down to the waterfront market and spent the day listening to the buskers and sampling the tasty foods. Tomorrow it’s on to the Jericho Beach Park to set up for the Vancouver Folk Festival.
James Keelaghan, Dick Gaughan, Patty Larkin are some of the names I recognized at this festival.
Found out today I have a 45 minute set on the family stage at 10 a.m. Saturday morning. Mainly be a kids’ show with demonstration of a few of the zoo instruments, including autoharp, but hey, it’s show biz and I’m breaking into a pretty big name festival.
Let you know how it went when I get back on-line next week.
After Vancouver it’s a two week turn-around to the Champlain Valley Festival in Vermont and the start of the Eastern leg of this wild and fun DiaToddNics Roadshow. A lot of autoharp interest without much exposure up here in Canada. Aim to change that one Canadian and one festival at a time.
Vancouver Folk Festival
Whew! What a wonderful and wild and beautiful time visiting with our neighbors to the north these past few weeks. The Western swing wound up Sunday at the indescribably gorgeous Jericho Beach Park in Vancouver with Mavis Staples rocking us into the night with her Aretha Franklin voice and Dr. King soul. It was a work of living history art of the Civil Rights Movement with old Staple Singers gospel/freedom songs and a few pop tunes from the 60s and 70s. at 70 years old Mavis can still bring it to an audience of 25,000 or more.
My understanding of what is accepted as folk music in Canada has certainly spread the flaps of the tent wide open.
Now to the Petting Zoo. The folks of Vancouver and their children couldnt have been more appreciative and enjoyed the instruments any more from 10:00 to 5:00 each day. When the cacaphonous symphony grew too loud under the tent I just stood on the perimeter and beheld the joy that over 100 instruments can bring to young children and accomplished musicians alike, 
John McCutcheon sings “Home to the table, home to the feast/ where the last are the first and the greatest are the least.”
All I do is set the table in the morning and call all the children home to the feast where indeed they are the first and the professonal musicians usually on stage become the least. I love watching a child’s eyes light up when they strum that first magical chord or eke out a note on a fiddle. I also love watching the professional musicians pick up an instrument that is new to them, like an autoharp, and get that childlike look of wonder that probably first got them interested in music many years ago.
The Autoharp Play Station is the centerpiece of the feast with a table all its own and detailed signs about the builder and woods used. The Canadian people have trace memories of the old people playing autoharp that have all but died out. Picking up and playing this new generation of ‘harps, whether a Ray Choi or a Pete d’Aigle or a Greg Schreiber and the rest, brought ecstatic aah’s all festival long.
The most common overheard remark was “Come listen to this! It sounds like a choir of voices all in one.” And then a husband and wife or parent and child would take a ‘harp off under a shade tree and play through all those lush diatonic chords. Eventually, they’d hand the ‘harp back to me with a comment like “That’s just amazing.”
Resting now for a couple days at Pete and Polly d’Aigles before driving back across country to continue this odyssey in Vermont, PA and back into Canada to the Ontario festivals.
Roadshow Questions
Questions raised on this list about the logistics and the funding and so forth for this tour, not sure of the pertinence. But, no, I’m not doing this for free and, yes, I had to submit the necessary paperwork to the Canadian govt. The Canadian people from the tax officials to the customs guards to the festival promoters have all been extremely helpful and kind.
The logistics take a little managing, which I amd improving on all the time. It’s not unlike a carnival coming to town, I suppose, only I have been given great support from the many volunteers.
My father made the Inchon Landing and fought his way out of the frozen Chosin with the 1st Marines, coming home with a Silver Star and Purple Heart. I figure the logistics of managing a 100 instrument petting zoo in my good ol’ friend and
RV Gypsy Rose are pretty mild by comparison.
Besides I can’t get the image of that 9 year old Ethiopian girl, now livng with adoptive parents in Winnipeg, trading made-up lyrics with me to the tune of “Liza Jane” and strumming dulcimers together out of my head. Her nine year long journey from Ethiopia to Winnipeg has been a lot more arduous than my little summer expedition.
Champlain Valley Folk Festival
And thus concludes the Champlain Valley Folk Festival, the petting zoo’s fifth festival since leaving back in June and eighth dating back the early May. The one common factor has been the kindness and friendliness of both the folks running the festivals and those attending. The CVFF had more than its share of trying circumstances with torrential rains Friday and Sunday but everyone kept such a positive cooperative disposition it all somehow magically still came together. The grounds were too wet to drive Gypsy Rose in, so we shuttled the instruments in and out via 4 wheel drive provided by my friend Donna visiting up from my old folk club in VA. We managed to get one sunny petting zoo day in and listened to some great music under the big tents the rest of the time.
On the lakefront stage in the pouring rain with the audience sitting up on a big old wraparound porch, a family a capella group sang Leadbelly’s old “Bring me water Sylvie/Bring me water now/Bring me water Sylvie/ Every little once in a while.” Couldn’t have been more beautiful and fitting in spite of the drenching. Every song that quenches a parched soul brings the water. “Bring me water, Sylvie.” That Sylvie has been with us a long, long while.
HotaFest
Today is another bright sun shiny day and I’m looking for a campground with a laundromat and place to lay out wet cases and tarps. Then it’ll be off to the Hotafest in Bradford PA, which is mostly indoors. Be stopping to see my good friend Patrick on the way, who is donating one of his expertly set up 21 chord chromatics. Always wanted to run away and join the circus or carnival. A traveling musical petting zoo is about the next best thing, better even when a young gal named Kate tells you she’s played all the instruments and found the one that sings to her.The Heart of the Alleghenies Festival or HotaFest is now winding down, and I have wifi here in the fine arts building for a change. What a wonderful time and spirited array of talented musicians who come for a weekend of jamming, workshops, contra dancing, concerts, and contra dancing. Did I mention the great contra dance scene here in Northwestern PA and Southwestern NY?
These folks come to play or dance to the music nonstop for three days. That’s not to say the concerts weren’t also great. Claudia Schmidt is sensational and back out performing after a long hiatus as an innkeeper in Upper Michigan. I remember her soaring voice from the early Bryan Bowers and her own Flying Fish records, but didn’t realize she is also a consummate performer, funny, sharp, bluesy, poignant and with a voice that filled the beautiful auditorium here at Uptight-Bradford. Also a very unique and talented dulcimer player.
Linda Huber and I were on hand to promote the autoharp and give it some recognition. I taught the diatonic workshop, while Linda held a workshop intended for children, but which quickly became another fine beginners’ workshop. She works tirelessly here in the East bringing her own ‘harps to festivals like the Hotafest to entice new players.
This festival will be one of the most special for me on this long Odyssey because my daugher Erin and her friends Tim and Molly showed up yesterday unannounced, making the six hour drive from the DC area to check on old Dad. Not sure if it was a Petting Zoo “intervention” or just a wild-haired 20s something roadtrip, but it sure was nice to see someone from home. 
They arrived just in time for my “Soul of a Man” song circle, so Erin was able to add her amazing voice and flute playing to the mix. Both my autoharp workshop and song circle were well attended, and, I think, well received.
Well, time to wrap this up and get the zoo loaded for the next festival. Crossing back into Canada again, this time Ontario for the Summerfolk Festival next weekend in Owen Sound and the following weekend at the Ottawa Folk Festival, where I’ll be crossing paths with old friend and mentor Bryan Bowers, who helped start me on this journey nearly 30 years ago now.
Summerfolk Festival
What do I want to say about Summerfolk a day later and still feeling like it was all a dream?
The wonderful folks of Owen Sound and the Georgian Bay region of Ontario not only came out for the Petting Zoo, they embraced it and me like no festival before. The children of that area must have a music in their waters because they were not only thoroughly respectful of the instruments, a lot of them could already play. The tradition there is very rich, so kids by age 9 or 10 know their way around a guitar or fiddle, but they are equally curious and a quick study on the autoharp, dulcimer, steel drum, djembe and so on.
It really is about “calling all the children home to the table, home to the feast, where the last are the first and he greatest are the least.” To see James Keelaghan, one of Canada’s national treasures as a singer-songwriter, crawl into the “Musical Todd-lers House” to sample the instruments there on ground level with his young toddler was a highlight for me. James later told me when he brought child over to the main tent, he was fascinated to watch him walk around and examine all the instruments with a child’s curiosity, but to keep coming back to the fiddle time and time again. James is an astute observer and recognized right away the discovery value of the petting zoo.
I’ve been watching it happen all summer. A kid comes back time & again and spends hours with a banjo or a fiddle or minstrel harp, thoroughly captivated, even if they weren’t really “playing” the instrument. At this early stage playing with an instrument is more important than really playing it.
For my efforts with the bringing the Petting Zoo to Summerrfolk, Richard Knechtle, the artistic director, asked me to lead “Goodnight Irene” as one of their traditional finale songs. I found out about an hour beforehand, so I quickly tuned up a ‘harp and brushed up on the lyrics, and when the finale came, I stood front and center on the Stan Rogers Stage at the mic with a 100 musicians and crew backing me up and several 1000 folks standing up the the amphitheater, and we sang together the older Leadbelly version of “Goodnight Irene.” And I played the autoharp on the main stage at the close of the festival.
Please don’t pinch me just yet. 
A few observations:
Where the autoharp table is clearly the centerpiece, part exhibit and part hands-on, two ‘harps get played the most. One is Gordon Baker’s lap or table ‘harp which is set up in reverse and meant to be played lap-style. Wow, am I glad I added this harp to my collection before starting out. To the unintiated, just being able to stand at a table and push a button to strum a chord without crossing their hands can be a real eye opener.
The other autoharp that gets played the most when someone gets bold enough to pick up a ‘harp and hold it Appalachian-style is the Pete d’Aigle built Sparrowharp, inspired by Evo Bluestein. Because it is a 3/4 ‘harp it’s not so imposing, but still gets a great sound.
So that’s the order, Gordon Baker table ‘harp, followed my the Sparrowharp, followed by an Oscar G/D or my newly acquired chromatic. Then the really interested or totally hooked will reach for one of the ‘harps on a stand with a name placard, like the Hollandsworth, d’Aigle, Schreiber, Choi, Fladmark etc. I keep those ‘harps on stands at the back of the table to be admired more for their beauty than to be played haphazardly. The signs tell folks about the luthier, but they also imply, these ‘harps are something special so: Handle with Care.
But it starts in the Petting Zoo with the genius of Gordon Baker and Evo Bluestein to have designed ‘harps a little out of the ordinary, but perhaps a little more accessible to the novice or child.
Thanks to Nancy Trokan, I will be doing a workshop, concert and jam with the Cincinnati area ‘harpers and dulcimer players on Tuesday Sept 2. We plan to honor Gordon Baker in his home area where I’ll have four of his uniquely designed ‘harps to play and to share.
One more “autoharp sighting” of note. Ariel Rogers, Stan Rogers’ widow and a driving force at Summerfolk, told me she plays the autoharp and maintains it herself refelting chord bars to get different chords, etc. She is a fine singer in her own right, as evidenced by her moving rendition of Stan’s song “Lies’ during the Stan Rogers tribute portion just before the finale. She told me my presence with the autoharp was a welcome addition to the festival her husband loved the best of all.
Many other “Summer folk” recalled to me with great fondness the times Bryan Bowers has played their festival. I know he’ll be back their again soon.
Finally, Peggy Seeger is doing well and performing as sharp and beautifully as ever. We shared a round robin stage on the theme of Songs of History. She sang her powerful “Ballad a Jimmy Massey” about a tormented Iraq war veteren. She’s also playing autoharp again, but at the moment is getting some work done by Pete d’Aigle on her ‘harps. We talked briefly about her brother Mike and the loss we all suffered, but especially the Seeger family.
On to Ottawa Folk Festival this coming weekend. The roadshow continues. No need to worry about an autoharp presence in Canadian capital. Bryan Bowers is a headliner.
See you farther on up the road,
True Crime Tales from the Petting Zoo
From the seedy underbelly of traveling petting zoo life, a true crime story.
I’m asked all the time if theft is a problem or worry. Hasn’t been in 10 festivals so far well except for a djembe that jumped ship on the plains of Winnipeg. That djembe started life in W Africa so I figured it just may end up back there some day with a young Canadian drummer on a tramp steamer. No loss. A nice Ghanaian merchant gave me a good deal in Vancouver.
Which brings me to Summerfolk without doubt the highlight and sweetest festival of the entire tour. Except that the night before it began I’d been jamming on the grounds using my Mitch Pingel C/G TimbreHarp Jerry C sold to me. Beautiful koa top, distinctive B model sound. A nice harp. Well after the jam I made the mistake of leaving it under the table in the zoo tent with a few other non instrument items and went off to sleep in Gypsy Rose.
Next morning sleepy-eyed I went to set up zoo 100 yards from where I was camped. First noticed my duffle of Indian blanket table coverings missing. Odd, I thought, duffle weighs a ton even though blankets have been shrinking all summer. Then I realized my jamming harp from night before was gone. Shucks, I thought (pg-13) my Timbreharp has taken a walkabout. But since there’s no crying in baseball or petting zoos I let it go, grabbed the sheets off my bed for table cover, and had a grand time w the petting zoo and the whole Summerfolk experience and never told a soul.
So I’m on the road Tuesday to Ottawa still basking in the wonderful feeling of closing the festival with “Goodnight Irene.” a Summerfolk tradition and only vaguely disappointed about the missing harp when I get a mysterious call from a man who has seen my autoharp and could describe it down to its serial number. He then said he would phone in a tip to the Owen Sound crimesolvers.
Long & short the Owen Sound detectives cracked the case in less than 24 hours and the harp is in safe hands. No sign, however, of the incredible shrinking, now vanished, Indian blankets. No matter. Already replaced from an Ontario thrift store. Lessons learned: (1) no more leaving instruments out overnight on as yet unsecured festival grounds (2) dang hard to move or fence a custom autoharp, especially in a town that rarely sees autoharps of any kind. Poor thief probably thought now what do I do with this cheese grater?
There you have it the seedy underbelly of roadshow petting zoo life. Please, no way a reflection on the great people of Summerfolk, Owen Sound or Canada. I’d have gladly lost a harp or two for the marvelous way they have treated me this summer. See you at the Ottawa Folk Festival with Bryan Bowers this weekend. From Farther on up the road, Todd Crowley
Ottawa Folk Festival
First let me say that, in spite of recent medical attention, Bryan Bowers continues to be the single greatest autoharp ambassador there is. As a headliner at the Ottawa Folk Festival, Bryan worked his magic on an almost entirely new audience, many of whom had never heard of an autoharp before, let alone heard one played at Bryan’s level of excellence.
Bryan’s main concert Friday evening started off light in attendance, but the room quickly filled with spellbound listeners. Quintessential Bryan. “Battle Hymn” “Old Lovers” “Bristlecone Pine” “Friend for Life” and his story “September in Alaska.” James Keelaghan later paid Bryan one of the highest compliments from the stage in his own concert, calling Bryan one of the giants in folk music of the last 40 years.
I think because of Bryan’s presence there was heightened interest in the autoharp play station part of the petting zoo. I answered hundreds of questions about diatonic vs chromatic; different bulders; price range; etc. My attention was often so drawn to the autoharp table the rest of the zoo had to fend for itself. Amazes me how many folks seem almost afraid of the autoharp until you demystify it for them, sit them down and put a ‘harp in their hands. Then that first fully strummed chord makes their eyes grow wide and a light come to their faces. Always reminds me of the first time Bryan put a ‘harp in my hands and taught me “You Are My Sunshine.”
In a festival the size of the Ottawa Folk Festival, the petting zoo gets so crowded, it becomes a living organism all its own. I stand back in amazement as an older kid teaches a younger kid a guitar chord, or a drum circle erupts, or Fred the Limberjack comes out and dances for the wee ones.
In the Petting Zoo there’s only one rule. if you look over 18, you need a “fake I.D.” to come in and play. Quite often the professional musicians stop by and act like kids again. Good thing because they help keep the critters in playable tune. I tune all of them once before the gates open, but once the action starts, I’m more trainer for the team than tuner. If a kid brings an instrument over with a broken string or fallen bridge, I tend to the uke or banjo or whatever and say to it, “There are kids out there who want to play you. Now get back in the game. No slacking in this zoo.”
Nothing broken, nothing lost, nothing stolen.
Nice visits from Ottawa ‘harpers Bev and Ruth. No sign of Canada John and brothers. Ruth is an old hand, who’s been to MLAG, while Bev has been teaching herself the past couple of years. The Folklore Center of Ottawa may well have to start stocking more autoharps as a AH community in that beautiful Canadian Capital starts to take hold.
My own brief appearance Sunday afternoon on a shared stage with a bluegrass group and another old timey musician was a lot of fun with a generous and enthusiatic crowd sitting on the lawn under a warm August sun. I managed to fit some folk songs in among the BG and OT and ended with the audience joining in on the old 60s anthem “Everybody get together and love one another right now.” Along with autoharp I got to play my Carl Gotzmer built bouzokimer (have to check out the zoo if you want to know.)
I said once before “They come for what you love” when you share your love of music and instruments in a petting zoo. The zoo is just a microcosm, though, of a festival like the Ottawa Folk Festival. The people flock to these festivals in droves because the love that goes into putting one of these big festivals together is quite obvious.
Ottawa is my last Canadian festival of this year. From Winnipeg to Vancouver to Owen Sound to Ottawa each is a little different and has its own culture. But they all have in the common the Canadian people’s love of roots music. Pete Seeger once said a country’s musical culture should not be judged by the few virtuosos it produces, but by the overall musical richness of the people making music themselves. By this standard Canada has to stand as one of the most musically rich cultures in the world.
Back in the USA
The end is in sight for Dia’Todd’Nics Musical Odyssey, which began back in June day after school let out. I’ve managed to keep myself booked through the start of this school year, so I wouldn’t be enticed back into another PT English position. Now the school buses are out rolling in Ohio and that tug of a new school year is strong. But it’s time to lay down the chalk and open my classroom door wide to this beautiful continent with a different curriculum.
I wasn’t looking at the map when I accepted the last big festival at Pickin’ in the Pines in Flagstaff AZ Sept 18-20. Between now and then, I’ll be doing a tribute get together with the Cincinnati ‘Harpers for Gordon Baker Sept 1 (see info below) and a pre-Walnut Valley Children’s concert in Winfield on Sept 15.
That’s two weeks of meandering through So. Indiana, Illinois and Missouri in case anyone in those areas wants to get together. I’ve been having fun doing house concerts since the last big Canadian festival in Ottawa. Tonight I’m playing the trailer/RV park where I’ve holed up for a couple days of rest and instrument upkeep. It’s all folk music to me, folks.
Homeward bound from AZ to VA, I plan to take the I-10 through Tucson, Las Cruces, El Paso, Austin and points east along the Gulf Coast before turning north for home. I’m not in any great hurry, should anyone be interested in an Autoharp Roadshow visit please let me know off-list. Shameless advertising division of Dia’Todd’Nics, I know.
Last festival is my son Christopher’s little church fair in Richmond Arts on the Grove on Oct. 4.
Well, I’ve been to the East and I’ve been to the West. I’ve traveled this whole land round. I’ve been to the river and I’ve been baptized. Not quite ready for the burying ground, but I ’spect that’ll be coming by and by, too.
Gordon Baker Night in Cincinnati
If you’re going to be near Cincinnati Tuesday Sept 1, here’s what I know:
An Evening of Autoharp Music, Education and Celebration!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
College of Mount St. Joseph
Recital Theater – 5701 Delhi Pike
Admission $2 – free to students
With special guest, Todd Crowley
And members of the Cincinnati Autoharp Community
Todd will perform for us and also bring his ‘Dia’Todd’Nics’ Autoharp Play Station, a fully interactive and hands-on exhibition of over 20 autoharp models. These harps are not for sale, but rather provide visitors with an opportunity to examine various harps in one location. In 2009, a special commemorative section of the ‘Play Station’ will be devoted to now departed Master Luthier Gordon Baker. Three of Gordon’s Glad Morning ‘harps will be set aside for folks to fully appreciate his craftsmanship. Along with a rare luthier B-model, Gordon’s Baritone and Child’s autoharps will also be on display.
Also, folks can try their hand at new tandem bar set-ups. The Diachromic lets you play over 100 chords with just two bars pressed at a time.
Members of the Cincinnati Autoharp Community will also be featured, providing a ‘sampler’ of various styles of autoharp music.
Throughout this odyssey, when given a chance to perform, I’ve tried honor the countless men and women down through time who have told us the story of ourselves through folk songs. “I’m out here a 1000 miles from my home walking a road other men have walked down,” men and women like the poor wayfaring stranger, Stephen Foster, Woody Guthrie, Peggy Seeger, Stan Rogers, and so on. One reason I’m not a songwriter is there are just too many great songs I’ve yet to learn that collectively tell the story I want to tell.
On Tuesday evening in Cincinnati, thanks to the efforts of Nancy and John Trokan and the greater Cincinnati area autoharp and dulcimer groups, I was able to shift the attention slightly from the songwriters, who have given us the songs to sing, to the luthiers, who give us the instruments to play them on.
It was an honor to be part of a Gordon Baker Tribute night and share my four different GladMorning Autoharps, along with all the other ‘harps in my petting zoo, with the 60+ autoharpers and other folk music lovers, who came out to this special event. I was especially honored to meet Lois Baker and hear her play her hammered dulcimer on stage with Nancy Trokan backing her up on autoharp.
I was struck, not only by the high level of play by the Cincinnati and Dayton area ‘harpers, but also by the universal love and respect Gordon Baker still commands in his home area. Gordon was a driving force in getting an autoharp club started, as well as a master luthier, who was always designing something new and innovative in the autoharp world.
I thought my four ‘harps from the child’s to the baritone represented the gamut, but in Cincinnati, the folks brought out at least three other Gordon Baker ‘harps including Don Thompson’s goliath bass ‘harp that dwarfs my baritone. It is an absolute fact that Gordon Baker designed and built more autoharp variations that any other commercial luthier.
All summer long the Gordon Baker “lefty” table or lap ‘harp has been the first ‘harp many newcomers to my petting zoo have tried because it so accessible sitting there on the table. And in my set I played “You Are My Sunshine” on the lap ‘harp because it was the first song I ever learned on the autoharp. All summer I’ve been sharing my love of autoharps with a lot of folks who had no idea what an autoharp was. Tuesday in Cincinnati, it was good to be among “the tribe” again of those of us with a common love for an uncommon instrument.
Can’t let this part of the Odyssey pass without also thanking new friends Don and Jean in Waterford PA, who hosted a house concert for me the week before I came to Cincinnati. I met these wonderful folks twice this festival season, early on at the Dulci-more Festival and later at the HotaFest. Don has a magic touch fixing old instruments, especially turn of the century parlor guitars and fiddles. Jean plays dulcimer and fiddle, and now has an autoharp. They have a wide circle of old time musical friends in the Erie PA area, who filled their living room.
I continue to be blessed on my journey. Heading now to Winfield, not for the big WVF, but for a one day children’s festival on 
Tuesday Sept 15…then I’ll finish up in Flagstaff at Pickin’ in the Pines Sept 18-20 before turning back toward VA.
Where Did All the Autoharps Go?
Used to be I’d come home from a two week trip with at least one autoharp I’d found in a flea market or pawn shop. Now on my four month walkabout I’ve been in a hundred pawns and fleas all across the land and found nary a one.
Where did they all go? That great national treasure hunt eBay? Come on now, ‘fess up. How many of y’all have bought least one autoharp on eBay? My hand is raised. Gettin’ so a scurvy scavenger can’t find a good $50 autoharp anymore. Hm…hm…hm
In NW Arkansas there are pawn shops on every corner with enough rifles, handguns, assault weapons, etc to arm a militia. Lined up in racks, in cases everywhere. There are also the usual guitars and assorted electronics.
Yesterday in one such shop I spied a lone mt dulcimer hanging on the wall behind the counter. The owner was unsure of the model or even how long it’d been there. When he got it down I could see it was one of the prettiest McSpaddens you’d ever want to see. I tuned it up and sang a song for the gal behind the counter. Priced unbelievably low, I rescued that sweet dulcimer and it joined the zoo.
I pondered later how the world might be different if pawn shops had dulcimers, autoharps, fiddles, etc lined up with a lone deer rifle or two hanging behind the counter. My pondering led to no conclusions or revelations, except that old Charles Zimmermann once dreamed of a more peaceful world with an autoharp in every home.
Winfield Kansas
Turns out there is the big Walnut Valley Festival coming up here next weekend in Winfield afterall, just that it must be commonplace to the local citizenry. Once I found the laundromat, I noticed quite a few RVs passing through and parked on the side streets. Then I found the WVF ticket office and they pointed me to a campground in Ark City 10 miles south. Just as well. Gypsy Rose has been needing some, shall we say, attention. So I got my laundry done, Gypsy all washed and emptied, and the seasoned hands Barb Barr, et al have been in touch. We’ll hook up for some autoharping this weekend before my children’s show on Tuesday.
All is good. The rivers around here all near flood stage but receding. Don’t worry I am a trained musical petting zoo professional used to arriving blind and finding my way around. You shouldn’t try this yourself without careful advanced planning. Only trouble now is I have to hit the road Tuesday afternoon to be in Flagstaff Friday for Pickin’ in the Pines, missing all the contests and big WVF doings. Dumb scheduling I know. I may have to give my booking agent a pay reduction. Thanks for everyone’s concern. Cool thing about Winfield is you don’t even have to attend the festival to enjoy the festivities.
Well that holding area for the land rush is a sight to behold with all those RVs lined up to claim their campsites. Kind of glad I’m not in it. Found out what I am here for, though, which was always a little unclear to me. The local Arts & Humanities Council is holding the Winfield Mini-fest on Tuesday Sept 15 at the community center in Winfield. Some of the Winfield performers will come over to give a festival for schoolchildren and the aged, two populations that might not get to the big WVF. I am on first at 9:00 a.m. and then hosting a “mini” musical petting zoo in a room off the auditorium. Soo…if any ‘harpers are looking for something to do on Tuesday come on by the Community Center at Gary and 7th. Winfield mini-fest Sept 15 9 to 2.
Nice town. 
Gosh, sure nice of Craig Harrell and his wife to come to my 9 a.m. Minifest concert. Hard to be sharp that early especially with the reigning autoharp champ in the audience. But we had an attentive group of bright-eyed school kids sitting cross-legged on the floor and equally appreciative seniors on chairs in the back. I tried to reach both audiences with songs about being linked to the past through the folk tradition. Also a little teaching about the various zoo instruments I brought on stage to “pet”. Craig was the only “student” who could identify an autoharp.
Later Barbara Barr and Karen Daniels paid a visit to the indoor mini version of the petting zoo. The autoharp community is special in its support for one another. So, while I didn’t exactly “play” Winfield I got enough of a taste to return next year and take in the whole festival. Tomorrow evening Craig is playing in the Winfield Winners concert to open the festival officially. Wish I could be there but I am already on up the road toward Flagstaff, last festival on Dia’Todd’nics ‘09 Musical Odyssey.
Amarillo on the horizon, when the wind don’t blow and the moon upon the Gunnison don’t rise.
Pickin’ in the Pines
Pickin’ in the Pines is a young festival, just 4 years in the making. Still needs to gain traction but by far the nicest venue I’ve seen all summer. Wolftrap-type main stage amphitheater and large park setting in Flagstaff for camping and side stages. Petting zoo in a ramada, an outdoor picnic shelter with lots of pines to spread out under. Great turn-out for autoharp workshop, including friends from AZ a’harp community and folk club from back home. Same weekend as Winfield but groups like The Freighthoppers on national caliber. Nice festival.
* Pickin’ in the Pines, my last festival of the season, on September 20 the last day of summer, one little girl stayed behind at the petting zoo to help me pack up. As we worked together matching cases and instruments and carefully zipping them up for the long ride home, I asked my helper her name. “Autumn,” she said. “My name is Autumn. “ 
See you all farther up the road.
Todd Crowley October 1, 2009
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