WFC 2012 Announced!!

For those of you that have been wondering....thanks for the interest and the emails of support.

YES, Winter Folk Camp is a go for 2012. Once again, we will gather at YMCA Camp Wanakita for 3 days of music, outdoor adventure, and amazing community. Put the dates on your calendar:

March 2-5

Once again, we have a stellar list of artists-in-residence. They are :

• Lynn Miles: songwriting
• Ken Whitely: playing the blues
• Sandra Swannel: fiddle
• Terry Young: guitar
• Teresa Doyle: choir
• Eve Goldberg: ukelele

If you have been before, you know what a great weekend it is. If you haven't......sign up soon!

We go down to the river....

"Take me to the river. Drop me in the water." Al Green

Hard to believe that I was saying goodbyes to folks just a couple of days ago. I am still basking in the light of so many incredible musical moments. Anyone who has attended any kind of music camp knows that the experience is much greater than the sum of it's parts: WFC is no exception. Yes, there are moments that will live on as distinct memories. Moments like:

• David Woodhead's solo ukelele performance
• David Archibald; "I'm a rose between two thorns" Suzie Vinnick: "No, you're the icing between 2 cookies"
• An all-camp gospel sing that raised roofs and spirits
• Waking up to 10 cm of fresh snow on Sunday, after all-day rain on Saturday
• Beginner guitar students getting a standing O after their first public performance
• The look of joy on someones face after their first-ever cross-country ski.

and many, many  more. Every person reading this will have their own list of moments; memories that will catch you over the coming weeks and months and cause you to smile.

Running between and through those moments is something else.... the real power of an experience like WFC: the sense of community. The warmth, support, and joy that inspires everyone to stretch a bit....to walk to the edge of their own musical comfort zone and say "I can take one more step." It is the river that runs through our experience.

That is why we come; why we drive long distances, sleep in cabins with strangers, stay up too late and get up too early, lug instruments from building to building, sit on hard benches at meals....

Some of us come to listen, some to drink. Some to stick our toes in, others to dive right in. Some of us come to replenish the river, some come to get replenished. For some of us it rages, for others it murmurs. Some of us come to watch from the banks, others come to get carried away.....

Thanks to all of you who came and helped create this river....I look forward to doing it again with you.

"Running the big rapids is like sex: half the fun lies in the anticipation. Two thirds of the thrill with the approach. The remainder is only ecstasy-or darkness."  Edward Abbey

Still some spots left.

We still have some spaces available at WFC. Streams that we are still accepting folks for:
Anne Lederman: fiddle: just a couple of spaces left.
Eve Goldberg: beginner/int guitar
Georgette Fry: community choir
David Archibald: songwriting
David Woodhead: playing well together: a few spaces left.

You can register at here, or contact me directly: singingdog1@gmail.com

Check out Sue Shikaze on "Paddling beyond the mainstream" this evening: 7-9 PM. She will be featuring music from Winter Folk Camp artists, including: Georgette Fry, Anne Lederman, David Archibald, David Woodhead, Eve Goldberg, and Suzie Vinnick, and Rosemary Phelan.

Radio interview with Anne Lederman

The best community radio station in the world, Canoe FM, is doing an amazing job of helping to promote Winter Folk Camp. Mike Jaycock, the morning host, has been doing interviews with our artists-in-residence over the past month. Tomorrow morning at 8:10 AM, his guest is WFC fiddle instructor Anne Lederman. Tune in for some great chat and some great tunes.

WFC Ceilidhs announced

We went to a new format last year: more of a kitchen party idea than a straight concert. If you are familiar with the workshop format that is so common at festivals, then it will be familiar to you: 3 artists share the stage and a certain amount of time (with very little rehearsal time). The mix of collaboration/individual performance is up to them. If you missed the ceilidhs last year, you missed a couple of memorable evenings.

Imagine a "rapping folk singer" (Rodrigo's description of Ian Tamblyn), a latin guitar virtuoso/percussionist (Rodrigo Chavez), and a canadian fiddle/stepdance champion (Cindy Thompson Butineau) sharing the stage for the first time: sparks flew!!! The next evening was a little more musically homogenous, but no less magical: Paul Mills, Eve Goldberg and Linda Morrison cooked up a brew of songwriting goodness that was much greater than the sum of it's formidable parts.

This year we have put the following "ingredients" together. Stir and stew for a couple of days and the results are bound to be tasty.

Saturday Night: David Archibald, Suzie Vinnick, Anne Lederman

Sunday Night: Eve Goldberg, Georgette Fry, and David Woodhead

Congrats to Suzie Vinnick and the Marigolds

Suzie, as part of the folk super-group The Marigolds, has put another notch in her music-awards belt with a Juno nomination for Group Roots and Traditional album of the year. 


"Their original compositions combine the timeless and classic genres of traditional country and bluegrass, Appalachian ballads, country and electric blues with rockin’ grooves and soulful, angelic harmonies. Onstage and in the studio, they deliver their music with skill and grace."


Not only will Suzie be teaching int/adv guitar at WFC, but will share the stage with David Archibald and Anne Lederman for our Saturday night ceilidh.

Big Rock sponsors WFC for the 3rd year in a row

Big Rock Brewery has stepped up again this year to be our beer sponsor for Winter Folk Camp. Big Rock has a long tradition of supporting music events acrosss Canada. We are happy to have them on board again this year.

Brush up on your Canadian folk music trivia to get a shot at some of the great swag that Big Rock donates. Of course you have to come to WFC to have the chance: and it's not too late.

Not your typical Fiddler

Anne Lederman, our fearless fiddle instructor for this year's WFC is not your typical jig and reel fiddle player (is there such a thing?). Originally from Manitoba,  Anne Lederman is strongly rooted in several Canadian musical traditions, old and new – Metis and French-Canadian, Scots-Irish, Eastern European and African. She sings in several languages and also plays mandolin, tenor guitar, piano, bones, feet, jawharp and more.


Anne's collaborations range from traditional to the unexpected : how many fiddle players gig regularly with an african drumming and kalimba master?


Anne's teaching experience is as impressive as her performing credentials.

Here's a couple of samples to whet your appetite
Tamarack'er Down
The Call (African Suite)

Early-bird registration extended

We are extending the early-bird registration discount until January 31st. Several folks have made the request, and we heard it. You can download a registration form at www.winterfolkcamp.com.

A deposit is enough to save your spot in a stream, and to get the reduced rate.

Welcome

Keep an eye on this blog to get all the latest updates on Winter Folk Camp 2011. I will be posting updates from our artists-in-residence, as well as program updates.

Latest news is that our resident blues-guitar instructor, Suzie Vinnick has a new album in the pipes. Check out a couple of tracks at http://www.myspace.com/suzievinnick