My first gig at this year’s Musikfest was at the end of day at Banana Platz, the kids’ stage. I wasn’t booked as a kids’ performer last year (humph) but have three sets this year. It’s a comfortable situation, with my friend Terry Mutchler on sound, and many, many familiar faces, both kids and adults, so I try to play the family stuff and still appeal to the adults. That’s where the hand-held instruments literally come into play. So I got to play ‘Pay Bo Diddley’ for myself and the adults, and the kids learn the Bo Diddley beat. Good all around.
It struck me that it was Parents of Former Guitar Students (and a couple of adult students who now have kids) Day, with several folks coming up and filling me in on the whereabouts of those kids now out on their own in the real world. Again, good stuff that ties me to my past connections. ….putting the ‘folk’ in folk music.
Caught up with fellow kids’ performer Cliff Sunflower and his wife Lois, whom I haven’t seen in a while, and it was good to perform some of my newer stuff for them. Sometimes I think I’m playing the same old stuff, but fresh ears let me know I’m okay. We swapped arts-education war stories, and it has been tough for all teaching artists, especially with a big chunk of the year now involved with ‘teaching to the test’. Gigs in the late winter and early spring are now much, much rarer. Seems the real education happens in arts explorations. Welcome to the new century.
Back again tomorrow for some different stuff.