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| Volunteers at the door. |
The 21st Midwinter Festival
was billed as a fundraiser and it did that alright, and a whole lot more. Re-affirming Austin as a town where
music-making is a way of life, both
lovers and practioners of the art came together once again Saturday, February
8th for a full day of learning, listening, playing and dancing at the Dougherty
Arts Center on Barton Springs Rd. to benefit the Austin Friends of Traditional
Music. Many thanks to those who gave of their
time and skill to make it a success much worth the while.
All the performances were
memorable. Special thanks to Mark Gilston and friends who started
off the stage entertainment with a delightful variety of tunes featuring the
lap dulcimer. Bothering almost no one,
the Annoying Instrument Orchestra
broadened horizons and introduced many to aspects of music they might not until
lately have
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| Peter Keane |
otherwise considered – and making the experience all the more
enjoyable for it. Austin is blessed with
truly accomplished musicians. David Hamburger is certainly one. A
gifted guitarist he was joined by Mark
Epstein and Kyle Thompson and
serious blues ensued right there on the stage. Guitar fanciers really lucked
out this year, Peter Keane kindly
brought Old Time Country Blues Guitar alive once again up close and
personal. I love old records, but real
music only gets played once and the chance to hear it like that is just what
memories are made for. The soul-stirring gospel sounds of The Rudiments paired with the impeccable piano joyfulness of T. Jarrod Bonta made a believer out of
me. And if you needed a miracle, all you
had to do was wait around for Ayan Hall
step-dancing to the Irish flute mastery of Jonathan
Milton. Old-time favorites the Double Eagle Stringband teamed up, set
the beat and got more than a few folks dancing where they sat and
otherwise. An etxra-special treat was Silas Lowe, Ben Hodges and friends
playing their very special brand of Bluegrass and old-time music as Los Jankies. I think I'd be safe in saying that they were
among the favorites of this year's festival.
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| David Hamburger |
It was hard to believe the
variety of items that we had for sale at the silent auction! We had so many
wonderful donations from people all over the Austin community. DJ and Pat Stamp
even had some “wild card” instruments where we weren’t sure just what they were
nor how to play them, which led to some fun speculations and experiments. The
big challenge of the day was a mandolin donated by Elizabeth Pittman, wearing a
tag that said “wall hanging only – not playable.” This instrument quickly
became our sword in the stone as musician after musician attempted to get a
working tune out of the strings, with Will Webster setting the pace and winning
the mandolin to take home as well! But really, would you expect any less at a
music festival in Austin?
Much of the business of the
AFTM is about encouraging folks to reclaim and play their own music. Music is a gift across generations, born from
tradition, grown in the heart, and given as an act of humanity from one person
to another. Whether in the teeth of
competition at a fiddler's contest, trading blues licks in the shade while the
Bar-B-Cue smokes, or the passing of a cherished technique from a master to the
eager student of any one of the countless instruments and styles the world
over, the experience is valuable and to be encouraged for no other reason than
that it ought to continue. We are very
grateful for those masters who gave their time and energies this year to the
wonderful world of workshops. Jon Polacheck and
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| Erica Braverman, Will Webster & The Cloggers |
a cast of thousands
(well maybe not that many) presented a Survey of Old Time Guitar Back-up
Styles. The dancers in the clogging
class with Erica Braverman (a
special thanks to Will Webster for
providing the music!) were surprised when a cameraman from YNN showed up to the
workshop, but did not miss a beat! The stalwart Jerry Hagins imbued lovers of the drop-thumb with new delightful
tricks and turns for the claw-hammer banjo.
Texas-style and swing fiddle master Mark
Seale held forth with knowledge and skill opening the past to those
present, demonstrating fiddle tune origins and what became of them here in the
Lone Star State. If you were lucky
enough to squeeze into one of the rooms where The Rudiments taught gospel harmonizing or Jeff Robertson brought the Flat-pick Guitar into focus, you know
what a great community there is surrounding the Austin Friends of Traditional
Music and, like me, I bet you're mighty glad to be part of it. There is just not sufficient space to recount
nor repay all those
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| Melissa Mollberg's Workshop |
who contributed to the entertainment, instruction, and good
companionship we all enjoyed at this year's Midwinter Festival. Thanks to
everyone who contributed and continues to help to keep the AFTM part of what
makes Austin the wonderful place that it is.
Here's to the next 40 years!
