San Francisco Free Folk Festival
June 21 & 22, 2008, City College, SF
http://www.sffolkfest.org
For pictures and a recap of the 2007 Family Festival, click here.
And read what Pete Seeger had to say to teens in 1963.

Folk Festival Family Concert Schedule
Click on the link for more about the performers and concerts

Saturday, June 21, 2008 Super Special CMN Saturday!

12:00 CMN Sing-A-Long Concert featuring fab Children's Music Network performers like Lisa Atkinson & Nancy Cassidy
1:00 CMN Concert continues with opportunities for audience members to also swap a song
2:00 Storming the Castle: Musical Storyteller, "Boundless Gratitude" from the Heart of the Peace Jungle
2:30 Princess & The Pirate: Princess Suska & Pirate Mordecai with songs of the sea & and traditional Celtic melodies
3:00 Interactive Family Concert: Faith Petric & Ingrid Noyes
4:00 Tunes for Mother Earth: Bonnie Lockhart & Fran Avni

Sunday, June 22, 2008

12:00 Songs For The Littles: Max Millard
12:25 Book Bugs BookTelling: Laurie Story
1:00 Campfire Songs of Yesterday And Today: "Ranger" Bob Keller
2:00 Puppet Show: Fozzie Bear and the Singing Act Gone Wrong: Doris Williams
2:30 Kids Open Mic hosted by Jeremiah
3:00 Seeds Of Peace Spirit Rising: Laurie Story, Jeremiah, & Friends
3:25 Malvina Reynolds Songs for the Young at Heart: Carolyn Jayne

Malvina Reynolds Stage Saturday, June 21

12:00-1:50 Children's Music Network Sing-A-Long Concert
http://www.cmnonline.org/ The Children's Music Network is a diverse group of individuals - singers, song writers, performers, teachers, librarians, parents and children. The network's mission statement is "Connecting people who celebrate the positive power of music in children's lives by exchanging ideas, visions, and music." Join some of CMN's most dynamic members from the Northern CA chapter right here at the Folk Fest as they lead a sing-a-long concert featuring songs that invite everyone to join in. After the CMN concert, we have featured CMN members giving more fantastic afternoon concerts. A dazzling display of local talent especially for children & families! A sing-along concert for people who love to sing with children of all ages and are looking for songs that invite participation in lots of ways. Come to share, come to listen, come to sing! The second hour will offer a limited number of audience sign ups for more sing-a-long sharing. This concert features these CMN members:
Lisa Atkinson ~ Gentle Wind Recording artist and the long term regional representative for CMN http://www.atkinsonkincheloe.com
Nancy Cassidy ~ Has 5 innovative & popular KidSongs recordings http://www.nancycassidymusic.com/

And these artists who will also have other concert slots (click on their picture for more about them and their concerts):

Boundless Gratitude	Fran Avni	Bonnie Lockhart	Faith Petric	Ingrid Noyes	Laurie Story & Jeremiah

2:00 Storming the Castle: Musical Storytelling from the Heart of the Peace Jungle
Experience this unique, dynamic and exciting high energy show! Musical Storyteller, "Boundless Gratitude" is a griot or troubadour, dispensing a Peace Jungle of music, poetry and stories that overflow traditional genre lines. Boundless Gratitude is truly a musical storyteller; he writes and sings ballads that tell stories, and also tells stories that include ballads. http://www.boundlessgratitude.com/

2:30 Princess & The Pirate: Princess Suska & Pirate Mordecai with songs of the sea & and traditional Celtic melodies for families and children.
Suska Varda has traveled from New York to Hollywood to Hawaii performing for and teaching children of all ages. She is a vocalist, musician, artist, actress, and a mom. Suska has been singing and playing all her life and delights in sharing her love and joy of music. Mordecai performed as the ‘Blues Kazoo’ with Bessie’s Goodies’ Travellin’ Show from coast to coast then moved to Hawaii. He sailed to San Francisco from Waikiki in 1981 and landed in Galilee Harbor, Sausalito. He spent many a monthly evening singing salty sailors’ songs with the Hyde Street Pier Irregulars in San Francisco. Mordecai entertained weekly leading the Sons of the Buccaneers at Quinn’s Lighthouse in Oakland for 4 years. He plays annually at the San Francisco Maritime Museum’s Festival of the Sea.

3:00 Family Sing with the venerable Faith Petric & Ingrid Noyes
A great opportunity for folkies of all ages to sing a long with these 2 superb folk artists!

Faith Petric is the beloved matriarch of the San Francisco Folk Music Club and thereby the Folk Festival itself! She has been having regular music meetings at her home (base of the club) for decades. Known as the "Fort Knox of Folk Music", Faith is legendary for her vast repertoire of songs. "There never was a time I remember that I didn't sing", says Faith. Born in a log cabin in 1915, her first songs were hymns in church and Faith says, "Hymns have wonderful opportunities for harmonies, almost as good as sea shanties, I think." Faith is a delightful performer for audiences of any age ... and speaking of age, we can't help but comment that our remarkable Faith is an amazing 92. Don't miss this opportunity to sing with Faith and Ingrid in the intimate setting provided by the Malvina Reynolds stage.
Ingrid Noyes is well known as the director of the California Bluegrass Association Music Camp as well as being a great musician and music teacher. She's been playing both the guitar and clawhammer style banjo since she was a kid, and teaching since then, too. In addition to her children's music concerts and programs, she performs with her band, Rosie and the Railroaders (see website) and also frequently plays for contra dances. She's known for her lively style on the banjo and good solid guitar playing. http://www.railroadmusic.net

4:00 Tunes for Mother Earth with Bonnie Lockhart & Fran Avni
Sing-a-long, move-a-long music celebrating Mother Nature. Fun for all ages. Join these award winning artists
in a double packed, super charged show! Lots to sing for everyone!
http://www.bonnielockhart.com/http://www.franavni.com/
Bonnie Lockhart is an Oakland, California-based singer, songwriter and educator well loved by audiences of all ages. Bonnie's interactive concerts are designed to maximize children's participation. Her shows feature sing-along, clap along, move-along activities with folk songs from many countries and cultures including Jamaica, Japan, Nigeria, Nicaragua and the United States. One of Bonnie's recent albums for children, families, and teachers is Dreams, Drums, & Green Thumbs; Bonnie's own collection of 15 songs, both original and traditional, rooted in folk music from Appalachia to the Caribbean.
Singer-songwriter, recording artist and producer Fran Avni has been creating original music for over two decades. An internationally-acclaimed performer, she engages her audiences in dynamic interactive concerts, workshops and artist residencies. Fran Avni's varied career covers everything from early childhood literacy songs to traditonal and contemporary Hebrew melodies. Her numerous recordings and songbooks showcase her far-reaching creativity and talent. Her latest work includes 48 songs/ 6 CDs as Music Author/Producer for one of North America's leading publishers for educational children's material, Scholastic's Building Language for Literacy Project.

Malvina Reynolds Stage Sunday, June 22

12:00 Songs for the Littles: Max Millard
Preschool favorite sing-a-long songs.
Max Millard returns to the Festival to once again delight our youngest audiences. Max is a preschool teacher for Bright Horizons in the Presidio and a remedial reading teacher at Mission Dolores Catholic School. He plays mandolin, harmonica and guitar. His favorite children's artists are Pete Seeger, Burl Ives and Raffi.

12:25 Book Bugs BookTelling with interactive LaurieStorytelling
Read, rhyme & rap insectology bug biology with big screen cyber technology!
"Mother Goose Rapper", Author/Illustrator & BookTeller Laurie Story Vela, M.A. will do a few Book Bugs big screen Laurie Stor-E Books for reading, rhyming FUN! Laurie's interactive shows combine Laurie Story Books, songs, and characters in a celebration of language, literacy and imagination. She began touring the nation's schools and libraries in the early 90's with Laurie's Stories. With dozens of characters and hundreds of books and songs, her biggest venue these days is cyberspace where she plays for hundreds of thousands (international) visitors. Experience the "Insectology Technology" feature of this summer ~ Read with Laurie's Stories here at the Festival and online with Laurie Stor-E BooksTM, Free Laurie Story Web TV, Book Bugs Insectology Technology and the practically free Laurie Story Leaping Literacy Online Library at http://www.lauriesstories.com

1:00: Campfire Songs of Yesterday And Today: "Ranger" Bob Keller
Traditional and original songs for kids of all ages in this sing-a-long concert.
Bob is a self-taught musician who began playing the guitar when he was in High School. For the past 25 years he has been leading/performing songs at Boy Scout and Girl Scout Campfire programs. As a singer/songwriter Bob performs both traditional songs as well as songs about the social issues of the day. He also enjoys singing and writing gruesome and gross songs which he sends out via e-mail on a semi-regular basis to a select list of gruesome song fans. Bob lives in Boulder Creek, California.

2:00-2:25 Puppet Show: Fozzie Bear and the Singing Act Gone Wrong with Doris Williams
A fun puppet show with plays, songs, and Doris' characters Fozzie Bear, Donald Duck and Daniel Striped Tiger.
Doris will entertain us with her singing puppets and stories, including Donald Duck in Noah's Ark, Fozzie Bear in the Singing Act Gone Wrong, and Daniel Tiger.  Ms. Williams has been singing and playing piano since she was very young. Now she imparts her knowledge of music to others in various Peninsula and South Bay Music Schools teaching voice, guitar, choir and piano for preschoolers to adults. She especially loves leading children in singing! Her multi-talents allow her to perform as a vocalist in her Celtic band Celtic Rose, and piano/keyboard accompanist for her jazz and the great songwriters of yesteryear shows at Senior Centers.  She also solos in church and other venues. In her Celtic band she sings Celtic, Renaissance and originals on her 8-course lute, guitar, tin whistle, recorder and bodhran. http://www.doriswilliams.com

2:30 Kids Voice: Kids Open Mic hosted by Jeremiah ~ Kids, this is your time!
At 2:30, we turn our family concert stage over to the voices of the children. The open mic is open!!

Calling all kids! Bring all your talents, musical and otherwise and share them with us at the family friendly Malvina Reynolds Stage. Our host is 8 year old Jeremiah who has been performing and recording with his mom, Laurie Story off and on his whole life! The stars of the show will be whoever shows up! Kids ~ that's you!

3:00 Seeds Of Peace Spirit Rising: Laurie Story, Jeremiah, & Friends
Feel good, non-traditional gospel-like sing-a-long fun for all ages ~ includes audience drumming as well as singing!

Come share songs for feeling good about ourselves, each other and the planet with Laurie Story & friends featuring her son, Jeremiah. Both Laurie & Jeremiah have been singing and songwriting their whole lives. Laurie Story has produced over 30 recordings of her songs and of her Laurie's Stories. In 2005, she started writing and performing these "Spirit" songs with Jeremiah and a youth choir she started at the Spiritual Life Center in Sacramento. Also called "New Thought" songs, they are based on some very old thoughts that reinforce our connections to each other, the planet, and our own hearts as a source of Love & Joy to give the world. Laurie & Jeremiah have taken these songs on the road with concerts and appearances in several states. This month, they are debuting their 5th New Thought CD, In My Hands: Seeds Of Peace here at the festival and on their site: http://www.newthoughtfamilies.com

3:25 Malvina Reynolds Songs for the Young at Heart: Carolyn Jayne
We oh so appropriately close our Family Concerts with great songs from our stage's namesake ~ Marvelous Malvina!
Carolyn Jayne will lead us in a sing-a-long concert of Marvina Reynolds songs. Carolyn has been a music teacher since the mid-sixties, and has been a performing musician for almost as long.  She currently teaches  vocal music in five elementary schools in San Francisco, including  Grattan School where she has taught music since 1976, and is the Director of Children's Music at the Unitarian Universalist Church of  San Francisco.  During her three decades as a performing musician, she performed solo and played in many country-rock bands, including leading her own band, The Jayne Gang, for several repeat engagements in Japan and throughout Northern California.

San Francisco Free Folk Festival June 16 & 17, 2007, City College, SF
Laurie Story & Jeremiah hosted the Pete Seeger Room both days with crafts all day long
and 1 amazing family concert after another ... See the Pictures:

Click here for the craft pictures! To save a picture, right click it and "Save Target As"

Our Performers!

Our Audiences!

And now some words from Pete Seeger that he wrote to teens in 1963.
Copied from the Pete Seeger Appreciation page found at : http://www.peteseeger.net/seventen.htm
SEVENTEEN MAGAZINE

 November 1963

 

PETE SEEGER TALKS TO TEENS

A singer of folksongs gives his own seven and a half pillars of wisdom.

DEAR FELLOW HUMANS:

I usually mistrust older people's giving advice to younger, because while often their advice is very good (the values of foresight, temperance, persistence, etc.), they forget that younger people usually know one of the most important things of all: the value of enthusiasm and enjoyment of life.

Twenty-five years ago, Franklin Roosevelt spoke to my generation. "Youth: hold fast to your dream," he said. In other words don’t give up your ideals of peace, freedom, justice, truth - the way as many adults do. When you come down to it, more people die from discouragement than any disease. And why do people get discouraged? Because they feel that life’s a joyless struggle; because they feel they're on a dead-end street.

So here are a few of my own recipes for avoiding this kind of discouragement. They may or may not apply to you. Only you can decide.

1. It’s better to take a job you want at less pay than a job you don’t want for more pay. But you can learn from any job.

2. It’s okay to suffer intense temporary discomforts in order to reach a longer-range goal. But make sure it is only temporary.

3. Debts can be chains, best used when they can haul you to new heights, rather than entangle your legs. It’s the same with possessions. "Man doesn’t possess possessions: they possess us".

4. Travel while you are young, and still are free of responsibilities. See what a big, broad, beautiful land we have here, then maybe a foreign land or two. See that there are honest, hard-working people in every corner of the globe, all quite certain that their own way of living, their local geography, their music, etc. is most beautiful.

5. Keep your health. It’s easy while you are young. But our fine, tempting, modern civilization can erode it easily too. Many a man or woman has finally worked himself into a position where he could do something, and then found he no longer had the health to do it or enjoy it.

5½. In view of the fact that good health and energy don’t last forever, it’s worth doing some things earlier than later. When my wife and I were about thirty and very broke, we built own our house, inch by inch, on a mountainside. Glad we did; doubt we'd have energy enough to do it now. And I’ve known too many people who put off such projects "until we have the money" or "until we have the time" - and if they eventually did get the money or the time, they no longer had the energy.

6. A happy sex life may take years to achieve, but it’s worth it in the long run. Worth the time, the thought - or rather, the thoughtfulness - and, often, the waiting.

7. A few short ones: Prestige is much overrated. The celebrity business is for the birds. Respectability is nice, but consider: whom do you most want to respect you? Money is like air or water. You need a certain amount to live. Beyond that, who wants to be a dog in the manger?

And now I'll stop before I rattle on any longer, like any old graybeard. All the foregoing applies to the one central thing I mentioned at the beginning: how to keep discouragement from withering the priceless enthusiasm which most young people have.

So far I've quoted FDR and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Here are a few more favorite quotes. (Note: When you steal one person it’s plagiarism. When you steal from ten, it’s scholarship. When you steal from a hundred, it's original research.)

First, a story about the late comedian Fred Allen. He once saw a small boy toddle in front of a truck and snatched him to safety just in time. On the sidewalk again, he said, "S'matter kid: don’t you want to grow up and have troubles?"

Next, a fragment from the German poet Bertolt Brecht.

. . .For we know only too well:

Even the hatred of squalor

Makes the brow grow stern;

Even anger against injustice

Makes the voice grow harsh. Alas, we

Who wished to lay the foundations of kindness

Could not ourselves be kind.

Here’s a famous line credited to Gandhi: "To the millions who have to go without two meals a day, the only form in which God dare appear is food." A line from a Harvard graduate back from Africa: "Nigerians are a proud people who don't want tourists, don't want heroes, don't want saviors. They just want schoolteachers."

Now, a paragraph from Woody Guthrie the dustbowl balladeer who taught me much not only about music but about my country and life in general: "The worst thing that can happen to you is to cut yourself loose from people. And the best thing is to sort of vaccinate yourself right into the bloodstreams of the people. . . to feel that you know the best and the worst of folks that you see everywhere, and never to feel weak, or lost, or even lonesome anywhere. . .There is just one thing that can cut you from the people and that is any brand or style of greed. . .There is just one way to save yourself, and that's to get together and work and fight for everybody."

Lastly I quote the words of a song I put together last year, using words from the book of Ecclesiastes.

"To everything (turn turn turn)
There is a season (turn turn turn)
And a time for every purpose
Under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die,
A time to plant, a time to reap,
A time to kill, a time to heal,
A time to laugh, a time to weep.

A time to build up, a time to break down,
A time o dance, a time to mourn,
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together.

A time of love, a time of hate,
A time of war, a time of peace,
A time you may embrace,
A time to refrain from embracing.

A time to gain, a time to lose,
A time to rend, a time to sew,
A time to love, a time to hate,
A time for peace - I swear, it’s not too late!

To everything (turn turn turn)
There is a season (turn turn turn)
And a time for every purpose
Under heaven."

Well, here’s hoping all the foregoing will help you avoid a few dead-end streets (we all hit some), and here’s hoping enough of your dreams come true to keep you optimistic about the rest. We've got a big world to learn how to tie together. We’ve all got a lot to learn. And don’t let your studies interfere with your education.

Sincerely,
Pete Seeger

© 2007-2008 Laurie Story Vela, M.A. & New Thought Families
All Rights Reserved For Sharing & Caring
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