The Microphone Is Open: At least one local musician has performed at open mike since it began in '91

Photo by Libby Sterling

Singer-guitarist Brook Morgan performs with drummer David Sheakley at last Thursday's open mike at the Alaskan Hotel & Bar. The weekly forum, in its 18th year, is open to all performers.

Web Posted December 18, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

Alaskan Bar's weekly musical forum going strong for 18 years and counting
All musicians have to start someplace. Even singers that have now become legendary had to perform for the first time in front of someone, somewhere. Open mike is often the best outlet for amateur performers to bring their art to meet the public.
Dan Minuskin started hosting an open mike at the Alaskan Hotel & Bar in 1991 and it has been going on most Thursday nights since. Between then and now, the event has been hosted by many other local musicians, including Teri Tibbett, Scott Fry, Sean Tracey and Scott Burton, to name a few.
"I enjoyed it," Minuskin said. "It gave me a reason to learn new songs, practice, and be in the thick of things one day a week. It kept me in the groove of performing and gave me something to work toward every week."
While it's great to have a good host, the whole point of open mike is that it is open to the public. Just about anyone who has anything to say, sing, or play has equal opportunity to perform. The Alaskan has seen every type of act, from limericks and throat singing to sonatas and hoedowns.
"There were quite a few people who were regulars, who would show up every week and do a 15-minute set. It was their 15 minutes of fame," Minuskin said.
Singer-songwriter Brian Sullivan has been one of the most loyal performers at open mike, having missed only a few weeks here and there in the 18 years of its existence.
"If you ask Dan, he remembers when I wasn't so good. I was just starting to write, but he'll tell you that I've come a million miles, and that's because of playing down there every week. I probably have a bachelor's degree in music from hanging out in the Alaskan," Sullivan said.
"Brian Sullivan is really the authority on the open mike," Minuskin said.
Originally from Ohio, Sullivan said he chose to settle in Juneau because of the musical opportunities that exist here - not only for professionals, but for amateurs as well.
"There's a tight music community here. We all help each other out," Sullivan said, adding that one of his favorite things about open mike is the opportunity to play with other musicians. By the end of the night, it has often turned into one big jam session.
"Not too many places have opportunities for us amateurs to get up there in front of a big audience and test the water," Sullivan said. "It's been a good experience for me because I'm a writer. I've gotten to write all these songs and work them out on stage in front of a live audience, and I get to look at peoples' faces while I'm playing and know if I've got a winner or not."
Throughout the years, there have been peaks and lulls as far as musician and spectator turnout depending on the time of year, the weather, and other events going on in town.
"You should have seen it, some of the years in there, it was a zoo. There was a line all the way down the street just to get in for open mike. It was nuts," Sullivan said.
"Over time it's become much more of an institution. It was a little more rough and muddy back in the early '90s when we were doing it," Minuskin said.
Open mike still takes place Thursdays at the Alaskan from 9 p.m. until everyone is all played out.

Juneau Bach Society Isn't Bach Exclusive: Handel will also be featured at winter concert

Photo by Libby Sterling

Web Posted December 4, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

If one were to Google "Bach society," they'd come up with thousands of sites about various musical organizations around the world. These groups vary in function, but each is centered around the celebration of music by this pretty cool dude who lived back during the Baroque era.

Johann Sebastian Bach left such a legacy that even Juneau has its own Bach Society. It doesn't come up in a Web search, since there is no Web site, but the society may be better off without one.

"I have more fun putting concerts together than doing Web sites," said Bruce Simonson, the Juneau Bach Society's founder and music director.

Active since 1988, the Juneau group is composed of volunteer singers and instrumentalists who share the vision to keep this cherished music alive and thriving. They will celebrate the continuing legacy of Johann with two performances this weekend at the Northern Light United Church. The program will consist of Bach's "Magnificat in D," George Frideric Handel's "Music for the Royal Fireworks," and Bach's "Cantata 192 (Nun danket alle Gott)."

The "Magnificat," based on a text in the Biblical Gospel of Luke, expresses the canticle of the Virgin Mary after she was informed that she would be giving birth to Jesus.

"It's a masterpiece in terms of how concise it is and how packed full of ideas it is," Simonson said. "It's one of those works you could study for a lifetime and keep finding new things."

The German words "Nun danket alle Gott" in Cantata 192's title translate to "Now thank we all our God."

"One of the things I love about Bach is that he has very complex ideas that don't sound overwrought when they're actually committed to paper and performed," Simonson said.

Handel's "Music for the Royal Fireworks" was originally composed in 1749 at the request of King George II of Great Britain. It was to be performed in a building in London constructed specifically for the piece and it was to be accompanied by live pyrotechnics. Unfortunately, a malfunction with the fireworks subsequently burned down the structure.

"We're not going to do that part of the performance," Simonson assured.

Prior to that flaming disaster, there also was mayhem at the first public rehearsal of the piece. Some 12,000 people all rushed to see the performance, and their eagerness caused massive carriage jams that lasted for hours.

So take heed, Juneau: If you must commute downtown for the show, don't come all at once.

Simonson said he is excited to present both Handel and Bach together in the same concert.

"The contrast between how Handel and Bach treat dance music is very wonderful," he said. "You can hear how the two composers approach that style differently - like night and day for me."

There will be quite a variety of performers represented as well, from young singers to seasoned professionals. The Bach Society often works with the Alaska Youth Choir and other student-aged vocalists. Several high-school students will be in the concert, including soloists who have previously performed with Opera To Go or in Juneau-Douglas High School musicals.

Soloists include Tiffany Hanson, Philippe Damerval, Kathleen Wayne, Wendy Byrnes, Monica Yost, Mark Bautista, Brett Crawford, Cheryl Crawford, Marie Petersen, Hannah Cordle and Sam Kurland. They will be accompanied by other chorus members and an orchestra.
Simonson gave praise to all of the young vocalists and said that he puts great importance on the inclusion of youth in the society's performances.

"I include youth choirs whenever possible to give kids a chance to be surrounded by all that sound," he said. "It's a chance for the music to spread across multiple generations."

Simonson said he also puts a high value on the student-teacher relationship. He invites local music teachers to come to the Saturday night performance for a group photograph and recognition for what they have done for the community.

"It's a way of honoring all those folks who keep music alive," he said.

Many of those people have been teaching in Juneau for up to three generations and are still going strong, and help keep volunteer groups like the Bach Society thriving.

"Juneau is a fabulous town for music. It's amazing to me that we can do these works that are really technical and difficult, and astonishingly beautiful," Simonson said.

Bacchanalia! Revel like a true Greek!

The guest of honor: Bacchus, also known as Dionysus, god of wine, was a popular portrait subject. Caravaggio painted his version of the god in the late 16th century. The oil on canvas hangs in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Bacchanalia celebrations were originally women-only gatherings, later extended to include men. Opera To Go's version will be open to both genders, and will include a variety of food and drink, music, theatrical performances and other participatory entertainment.

Web Posted November 20, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

Thousands of years ago, during the time of the toga, the ancient people of Greece and Rome would gather in groves and celebrate, often for days on end. Their reasons for partying varied, but throughout the past few thousand years of human adaptation, we have still retained the ability to make time for carousal all throughout the year, whether we have a good excuse or not.

In continuation of the tradition, Opera to Go presents "Bacchanalia!" this Saturday at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center.

The social event is a fundraiser for Opera to Go, and will make an effort to mimic the original celebratory rituals as much as is reasonable.

"It's not going to be like the original drunken debauchery, but more light and social," said Wade Rogers, who is producing the event. "We're trying to get people exposed to Grecian culture."

The original Bacchanalia players were all women who got together in secret to celebrate the Greek god Dionysus - also called Bacchus by the Romans - god of the vine and ritual madness. Eventually, the invitation was extended to the men as well. During these get-togethers, there were copious amounts of wine and food, dancing, theatrical performances, and fertility rites designed to ensure the success of the upcoming planting and harvesting season.

Fertility was also emphasized during the early stages of the tradition. Originally, Bacchanalia were held in the spring in an effort to please Bacchus and to ensure the success of the grape crops for that season. After all, without grapes there would be no wine for the following year's festival.

The evening will arouse several of the senses, with offerings including a wide range of food and drink, musical and theatrical performances and participatory entertainment.

"It's sort of our way of saying thank you for helping us in the last several years that we've been in existence," Rogers said. He has also emceed and produced other similar events in cities around the country.

The Silverbow will be providing edibles of the Mediterranean flavor, including delectable dishes such as hummus platters, spanakopita, lamb kebobs, roasted vegetables and baklava to top it all off.

Beer and wine will be served at a no-host bar.

As dance was a very important part of the original festival, the Daughters of the New Moon will perform traditional Middle Eastern dances.

Other acts include the magic of Jeff Brown, the Dale Wygant Polka Band, pianists Doug Smith and Tom Locher, Todd Hunt on saxophone, and duet Brett and Cheryl Crawford.

Seating will be in the Greek amphitheater style, with tables set up in an arc around a central performance area.

The stage won't be the only place for entertainment, however. Throughout the night, there will also be other opportunities to mix and mingle.

"It's unlike anything we've done," Rogers said. "Usually things are done in a theatrical setting, on the stage. This is going to be very interactive where people will be able to see the acts around their table, on the stage, in the hall, and be able to walk around while the acts are ongoing."

Several downtown hotels are providing discounted rates on sleeping quarters for the night. Participants include the Baranof, Goldbelt and Prospector, all within stumbling distance of the culture center. Room prices can be found on the Opera to Go Web site at www.operatogo.net.

Dress is dressy casual, and though togas aren't required, they are certainly optional.

"We're kind of going with an international theme," Rogers said. "So, if you want to wear your lederhosen and suspenders, you'll fit right in."

Doubt: Award Winning Play Sets The Stage In Juneau

Photo by Libby Sterling

Web Posted November 6, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

The arts can be a natural outlet for coping with distress, but they can also bring to light certain dark issues that may have been the cause of the distress in the first place. Composers, designers, performers and other artists often seem able to conceptually express more about these dark areas than philosophers and academics can, using fewer words and more subtle modes of expression. This subtlety of expression is one of the strengths of "Doubt: A Parable," Perseverance Theatre's second production of the 2008-09 season.

John Patrick Shanley, born in 1950, is the playwright responsible for "Doubt," which originated as an off-Broadway play first staged in 2004. It then ran for more than 500 performances on Broadway, winning a Pulitzer Prize in drama, a Tony Award for best play, and a Drama Desk Award, each earned in 2005.

Set in a Catholic church-school in the Bronx in 1964, "Doubt" follows the drama surrounding two nuns, Sister Aloysius and Sister James (played by Shona Strauser and Christina Apathy), who have opposing suspicions concerning the ethical integrity of a priest teaching in the school, Father Flynn (Ed Christian). The sisters' main concern is the nature of his interactions with a certain boy in the school named Donald Muller.

As the play's title implies, the situation is far from straightforward and involves potential conclusions that may seem to be obvious at first. However, much like a religious parable or allegorical fable, all the evidence may be considered and examined through a diverse range of lenses. In turn, the characters' fluctuating and opposing presumptions constantly trouble them.

The production consists of one act, though the original New York cast found that the second act happened after the curtain fell. It was then that the audience would leave the theater and begin to discuss their viewpoints on varying elements of the play that remain unrevealed on stage.

The actors in the Perseverance production also said they don't expect to be the only ones talking after the curtain call.

"In Juneau there's always a response from the community, which is a great thing," Strauser said.

Director Flordelino Lagundino has been working at Perseverance for the past four years, though he has been directing since 1991. He fills varying roles as an actor, director, teacher and administrator.

He also is the founder of the Thunder Mountain Theatre Project, where he will be directing "Shakespeare's R&J" in early 2009. This contemporary spin on the original "Romeo and Juliet" is similar in nature to "Doubt" in that it also brings potentially contentious matters up for discussion.

Lagundino said that plays like these are why he loves to direct even more than he likes to perform.

"Directing gives me a voice in some ways. There are certain plays that I feel are important to do because of the playwright's voice. I like to produce or direct plays that, in some way, I'm in agreement with or I feel should be part of a dialogue," he said.

Lagundino said he also likes "Doubt" because he feels that it is a discussion about ethics.

"This show is based on the fact that Shanley believes that there is nothing that is simply black and white," he said. "In the play there are a lot of sermons, and I consider theater as a place that is sort of a sermon, in a way. Not in a sense of saying you absolutely have to do this or that, but it's a place to discuss something. 'Doubt' is a discussion about religion and how we get in our heads that things are a certain way when those ideas are built on emotion and not really on fact."

"Doubt" opens the door to a great deal of discourse on many levels. Christian said he finds it interesting to see the varying evaluations audiences make of his character, the suspected priest.

"People just assume that I play a bad guy," he said.

Christian said one of Shanley's main goals in the play is to address the high level of certainty that is often used in making assumptions. He said it also is important to consider the difference in mainstream thought between the 1960s, when the play is set, versus that of the present day.

"From our perspective in the 21st century, we all think we know things for sure because of the experience of the lawsuits and things in recent years," he said regarding inferences often made about church scandals.

Lagundino said he notices the same attitudes in the general hindsight of the public. We can look to the past from the present and the verdict can seem obvious, but it wouldn't have been as unmissable to people in the 1960s.

"From our point of view, they should have known that Father Flynn was doing something bad. We automatically judge him in that way because of our facts that we have in general, but not specifically to Father Flynn," he said.

The original production had such an impact that the play has recently been adapted into a screenplay that premiered just last week at the AFI Fest in Hollywood. The film was directed by Shanley and stars Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. Even immediately after the initial screening, there was Oscar talk among critics.

Shanley also is well-known for writing and directing the 1990 adventurous comedy "Joe Versus the Volcano," as well as for writing several other stage plays and award-winning screenplays.

Marinda Anderson, who plays Mrs. Muller, enjoys performing in Juneau so much that she came all the way from her home in New York City for this production. She was previously involved with Perseverance in 2006 and has been living and performing in New York since then. She said there is great theater all over the country and she is always open to going anywhere, especially Juneau.

"I'm glad to be back," she said. "Perseverance is really solid. I've always respected the theater here. And it's a nice getaway from New York. The city is kind of crazy."

This is quite a small production for Perseverance, made up of only four actors. The troop said they are enjoying a break from the big crowd, though it makes rehearsals much more intense.

"It's tough, but it's good, and it's a very good group of people. They believe in the show and they want it to do well. They want to communicate the show to the audiences here in Juneau," Lagundino said.

'Rocky Horror' To Show At Pre-Halloween Bash: KXLL Radio Sponsors Party and Showing of Cult Movie On Oct. 24

Web Posted October 23, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

Multitudes of cult-classic movie fans and Halloween enthusiasts are preparing to rock on Friday, Oct. 24, at the Rocky Horror Halloween Bash.

The event, held at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center, is a fundraiser for Excellent Radio, 100.7 FM, and will consist of a dance party starting at 9 p.m. and a midnight showing of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

"This is the first showing for a long time in Juneau," said event organizer Andy Kline.

According to Kline, it's one thing to watch the film in the quiet of one's own home, and quite another to experience it with a group of people who are eager to participate.

Serious Rocky Horror fans may already know all of the parts where the audience has a duty to play a part, whether it's to holler a phrase or throw something at the screen. For first-timers, cheat sheets with cues will be provided.

The $5 cover will also include a goody bag with all the necessary props for audience involvement.

"In bigger cities, there are people who are totally dedicated to this and come dressed as various characters. A lot of people have come up to me and said they can't wait and can't believe we haven't had a showing in Juneau," Kline said.

The film was originally released in 1975 and was one of the original "Midnight Movies" shown around the country in the 1970s. It was screened alongside other countercultural, offbeat films, but remains a favorite among devotees around the world.

"We're really trying to do it exactly like it should be done," Kline said.

Preceding the midnight movie will be a Halloween-themed dance party emceed by Eric Caldwell of PolarSounds Entertainment. Partygoers are encouraged to dress in costume, whether it be in a Rocky Horror motif or otherwise. Wearers of the best costumes will be rewarded with prizes.

Caldwell will be in control of sensory items such as dance-inducing music, atmosphere-enhancing lighting and MTV-style music videos that will be projected on the big screen.

"At the Halloween Bash, we want to make everyone feel like Excellent Radio opened a nightclub. That means bright lights, big sound and music that is both cool and edgy. Because we're going to have the big screen on hand for 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' and PolarSounds Entertainment's eclectic collection of several thousand music videos, it's going to be the wildest music video party Juneau has ever seen," Caldwell said.

Caldwell is also the host of "80s Nation" which airs Friday nights at 8 p.m. on KXLL. Because of the show, he said he has become known as "the 80s guy," and hopes the Halloween Bash will be a good opportunity to remind people that he knows other music besides 80s, especially since most of his DJ'ing career has occurred well after the decade came to a close.

Folks of all ages are welcome to attend the bash, and there will be a beer garden sponsored by the Alaskan Brewing Co. for those of legal age.

Arts, Music, Beer At Autumn Festival: Oct. 18 event moves indoors to Culture Center

Photo courtesy of Mayumi Arimitsu

Web Posted October 16, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

Juneau's annual Autumn Festival will celebrate its fifth year this weekend with a move to the rain-free Juneau Arts & Culture Center.

From noon until 10 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18, attendees can partake of the sweet fruits of locals' labor through various arts and crafts offerings, and can enjoy live music and games. There will also be food aplenty, including Kettle Korn, Fry Bread and Chef Stef's catering. Edibles will be accompanied by a beer garden, sponsored by the Rendezvous and the Alaskan Brewing Co., opening at 2 p.m.

For the first four years of its existence, the festival was held at Marine Park. This year, the festivities have outgrown their former wall-less setting and organizers have opted to move the event indoors - just in case the weather happens to be less-than-desirable.

Founder, organizer, and master delegator Rachael Juzeler said she is interested in seeing how the change in venue will affect the turnout.

"People will hang out longer, I'm guessing," she said. "When we did it downtown, we didn't get so many passersby because people weren't really walking downtown anyway. They came down exclusively for this. It's super community (oriented), everyone knows each other, there are kids running around like crazy, and I expect nothing less again," she said.

Juzeler said she and a friend got the idea for a street fair around the time that Marine Park was constructed. The city was on board with the concept, but with the stipulation that the festival would have to wait until the cruise ship season came to a close, timing which naturally accommodated an autumn theme.

"It's a good kickoff for winter," Juzeler said. "It's a great place to do all your Christmas shopping in advance."

Musical performances will run all day long, and will include sets by Teri Tibbett, Train Wreck, Slow Gun Runner, Brook Morgan and others. There will also be time dedicated to impromptu performers during an open mike session.

Between musical performances, the Alaskan Brewing Co. will present awards to the winners of this year's Autumn Pour Homebrew competition. Ale-brewing champions will be announced at 4 p.m.

Another highlight will be a game called cornhole. This recreational activity is closely related to horseshoes, but rather than tossing an iron crescent around a stake, players fling cornhole bags filled with corn, beans, or sand at a target on a raised platform.

Arts and crafts tables will include work made by local jewelers, ceramicists, glass workers, knitters and more. There will also be interactive tables for children of all ages to discover and express their inner autumn creativity.

Juzeler said she expects the arts and crafts tables to sell out of products and close down around 5 p.m.

"That always seems to happen at this festival because we do have a lot of people that come through," she said.

Juzeler runs the festival as a volunteer, and is not necessarily affiliated with or sponsored by any one organization.

"It's basically just me. I have a lot of good volunteers that come and help me set things up," she said.

Admission is free, and proceeds will benefit the Juneau Arts & Humanities Council.

"It's basically just a community event with community people playing and community people all working together and showing all their stuff," Juzeler said.

Puccini Opera In Triplicate: Three acts, three sets, three costume changes highlight "Il Trittico"

Italian opera: Performers rehearse a scene from "Gianni Schicchi," the third act of "Il Trittico." From left are Therese Thibodeau, Aaron Elmore, Philippe Damerval, Wade Rogers, Cathy Pashigian and Kathleen Wayne. The opera consists of three one-act operas: "Il Tabarro," "Suor Angelica," and "Gianni Schicchi." They were composed by Giacomo Puccini and will be performed over the next two weekends at the Juneau-Douglas High School auditorium. The Amalga Chamber Orchestra will provide instrumental accompaniment to the performances.

Photo courtesy of Dave Depew

Web posted October 2, 2008

By Libby Sterling | for the Juneau Empire

It's unlikely that attendees to this weekend's performances of Giacomo Puccini's "Il Trittico" will have to journey to the lengths that Puccini did to attend opera productions when he was a young man. He and his brother once walked more than 18 miles from their home in Lucca, Italy, to see a performance of Verdi's "Aida" in Pisa.

Apparently it was well worth the trip. That performance is said to have spurred him to begin his career as a composer.

Now, 150 years after his birth, Puccini's work is still being remembered and celebrated in such faraway places as Alaska.

Juneau's own Opera To Go will launch its 2008-09 season with performances of Puccini's "Il Trittico." The opera consists of three one-act operas - "Il Tabarro," "Suor Angelica" and "Gianni Schicchi" - and will be performed with the Amalga Chamber Orchestra at the Juneau-Douglas High School auditorium. Puccini designed the three to be presented as a triptych, though they also are quite often seen separately.

"This is a different type of production," said Roald Simonson, the stage director. "It takes three sets, three casts, three lighting designs and three sets of costumes. But when you perform all three together, there are interesting relations that make a kind of emotional art," he said.
"Il Tabarro" ("The Cloak"), the first opera of the three, is set on a barge on the Seine River. What appears to be a very normal day of chores for the deckhands quickly turns into a battle for control by the three members of a love triangle. A wife plans an adulterous scheme with her new flame, and though her husband has his suspicions, they remain unconfirmed. However, through a series of unfortunate coincidences, husband and lover meet face-to-face, and only one of them will walk away from the encounter alive.

"Suor Angelica" ("Sister Angelica") takes place in a convent and focuses on a nun who has spent the last seven years escaping the worries and shame of her past life in the comfort of the church. She receives a visit from a family member bearing less-than-ideal news: Her young son, whom she hasn't seen since birth, died two years prior. Out of love, brokenness and regret, she makes the decision to force her own death to rejoin her son in the clouds. She concocts a poison and consumes it, only afterward fully grasping the reality of her decision. With a prayer to the Virgin Mary, the heavens open and mother and child are reunited.

Performer Patricia Kalbrener said "Suor Angelica" will be her first performance with Opera To Go.

"I've been in musicals before but there had always been some break in melodic action for whatever reason - a dance or spoken-word downtime - but the opera is just one big song, and when no one is singing the orchestra carries the music as if someone still were, so the flow of story is impeccable," she said.

Kalbrener said her role as a nun provided an opportunity to get to know the other performers.
"We are all sister nuns," she said, "wandering about our nunny business and existing together in the convent. It feels like we carry the sisterhood offstage with us, honestly."

"Gianni Schicchi," the third opera, takes place at the deathbed of a very wealthy Italian man, who is surrounded by a plethora of his relatives. The family, however, isn't hanging around to offer support to this poor man, but rather for what they may receive as their inheritance upon the moment of his death. Rumor eventually makes its way to the family that the funds they plan on assuming have already been promised to a local monastery. They scramble to find a way to change the man's will before their money goes out the window, and decide on a delegate to impersonate the old man just long enough to dictate a new will.

The delegate, however, decides to play his own trick on the rest of the family, laying down the will to be very much in his favor.

Meanwhile, his family is powerless to intervene, lest the whole scheme becomes uncovered and each of them loses a hand - the punishment for being an accessory to fraud at that time in Florence.

"The third opera has Puccini's most famous melody of all," Simonson said. "People who don't even know opera will recognize it. It's called 'O mio babbino caro,' meaning, 'Oh, my dear papa', and it has been heard in car commercials and many other familiar, non-operatic settings."

Juneau will have a chance to experience the "Il Trittico" both as a whole and in parts. "Il Tabarro" and "Suor Angelica" will be performed twice, on Oct. 4 and Oct. 10, as will "Gianni Schicchi," on Oct. 5 and Oct. 12. The entire "Il Trittico" will be performed Saturday, Oct. 11.

Tickets are available at both Hearthside Books locations and at the door. Each ticket purchased will be honored at every performance with no attendance limit, giving audience members a chance for an opera overdose.

Thirty-three performers make up the cast of the three operas, some of whom will double-dip and participate in as many as two of the productions.

"It's theater, and we're all there for the same reason; we want to make it as entertaining as possible," Kalbrener said.

Gordon Bok and Carol Rohl Tell Musical Tales of the Sea

Photo Courtesy of Hugh Chatfield

Web Posted September 25, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

It's hard not to be influenced by one's surroundings. And for a creative type it can be hard to suppress the urge to share stories about the things, places, people and experiences that have been instrumental in bringing a person to where they are now.

Folk singer Gordon Bok has taken to using instruments to keep and share stories of his past. Not only does he utilize his baritone voice, 6-string and 12-string guitars but also an instrument he likes to call the cellamba; it's a six-string, fretted cello he has built himself.

He doesn't stop there, though. He also uses wood in addition to music to create visual representations of memories that have shaped his life. He grew up among woodworkers and has followed in their footsteps as not only a furniture maker and instrument builder but also a relief sculptor.

"Many images are from memories of working on boats or fishing along the coast, and most of the figures in my carvings are people I have known," Bok said about his work.

Both the visual and verbal imagery Bok emphasizes in his carvings and his music are based around his connection with the sea. He hails from Camden, Maine, and has shared his stories through music all over the United States, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and Australia. Inspired by his years of working on fishing boats, yachts and schooners, he uses his music to share his unique perspective on people who live and work at sea.

Rather than resorting to some of the negative clichés about sailors, Bok writes about his own personal experiences as well as those of people he has known. Time Magazine described him as "the poet laureate of those who go down to the sea in ships."

He also dives into the mythical realm with albums such as "Another Land Made of Water," an album recorded in 1979 that illustrates the musical culture of an enchanted group of people living in the sea.

He is also a song gatherer, singing traditional folk songs from all over the world in their original languages, including but not limited to Italian, French, Portuguese and Mongolian.
Bok has worked and performed with many other musicians over the years. He was one-third of the trio Bok, Muir, and Trickett, who played together for almost 30 years. He also worked with Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul, and Mary, and Stookey produced Bok's first album. He has performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and has audibly appeared on the radio program "A Prarie Home Companion." He has even had music included in several folk music collections, including the anthology "Rise Up Singing."

Bok will perform in Juneau at 7:30 on Sunday, Sept. 28, at Resurrection Lutheran Church. Tickets are available at Hearthside Books for $15 or at the door for $17. He will be joined by Carol Rohl on the harp. The concert is sponsored by the Alaska Folk Festival.

They will also be performing in Ketchikan on Saturday, Sept. 27, at the Saxman Tribal House.

Rohl, Bok's wife, began playing the harp in 1986 and has since shared her talent at all sorts of events in all corners of the world, often joined by her husband. She has also spent her share of time on the water, as she was a U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain for seven years, working at the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School in Rockland, Maine.

"Carol was the first folk harp player in this area. When she came to town, we all muckled onto her," Bok said.

In 1996, she began to play private bedside performances for the ill in hospital rooms, homes and hospice environments. She is a certified harp practitioner through the International Harp Therapy Program and the Music for Healing and Transition Program. She has a B.S. in social work and also leads classes on musical healing.

In September 2004 at age 51, Rohl suffered a stroke that sent the left side of her body into paralysis. She didn't let it keep her keep her down, though. After only five months, she was performing with her husband again.

"Playing provides such great joy," Rohl said. "Anything that gives you joy has a healing energy to it."

Tom May: Folk Singer, World Traveler

Photo Courtesy of Tom May

Web Posted September 18, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

When Tom May was a little boy, he thought he might grow up to be a railroad engineer or perhaps a telegrapher, after his father. He didn't expect to end up living his life as a professional musician, as he has for the past 36 years. He and his friends jokingly refer to his career as "a hobby that got out of control."

May was always attracted to music even though he came from a nonmusical family. He purchased a guitar with earnings from his newspaper route, marking the beginning of what his career has now become.

Originally from Nebraska, May now resides in Vancouver, Wash. His music has traveled far and wide, from all corners of North America to Europe. He first played in Alaska in the 1980s and he says he still loves coming back to Southeast. He gets out on the road quite a bit, playing between 150 to 200 shows per year, two of which will be in the Panhandle: He will play in Skagway on Friday, Sept. 19, and will also perform at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 21.

Some would label May as a traveling troubadour, and though he says that word may be a little too flowery for him, he doesn't disagree.

"It is appropriate in the sense that I travel and take news of events that I've seen and my observations on history. I was lucky enough to find my niche, in a way, in that my songs are geographical and historical sketches, things that I feel are not forgotten but brought into the present."

May comes with a new album, "Blue Roads, Red Wine" released this year through Waterbug Records. The album features a song called "Yukon Journey, 45 Below" which, like many of May's songs, tells an epic story. In this case, the tale is of a tour through Alaska and Canada during a frigid winter. Juneau even makes a lyrical appearance, as does Alaska Airlines and all the other people, places and things that made the journey possible.

Much of May's music consists of verses that tell stories, whether they are personal journeys, present observations or historical narratives. His interest in history and geography moves him to write from one perspective and place in hopes of sharing it with another.

He has especially enjoyed bringing his songs about American history to listeners in Europe. The few hundred years of American history can't hold a candle to the millennia of recorded events taking place in Europe, but May says he has observed quite an interest by his international fans in his presentation and delivery of the American yesterdays.

His love for folk music has also led him to host the nationally syndicated radio broadcast, "River City Folk." The show first aired in 1985 and features the recordings of different artists from week to week, as well as live performances in the studio and interviews, granting listeners a comprehensive introduction to folk musicians from around the world.

He also helps run a winter folk benefit concert in Portland, Ore., which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. It takes place each February and raises funds to provide low-cost and no-cost meals to people throughout the Portland area.

An author as well as a musician, May recently published "Promoting Your Music: The Lovin' of the Game" with co-author Dick Weissman. They have included interviews with friends in the music industry such as Gordon Lightfoot, Harry Manx and Eliza Gilkyson, and stories of their experiences turning musical callings into careers.

No matter where May is playing, he is constantly emphasizing the importance of relating to his audience and, in fact, viewing them as participants more than just flies on the wall.

"My reward is the joy of being able to play," May said. "If you miss the friends and the people connections along the way, you've missed all there is."

Mountain Music Festival To Feature Local Musicians

Web posted August 28, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

For those beginning to grow weary of the long summer season, and for those holding on to every final morsel of it, the Mount Roberts Tramway will present a musical event with quite the opportunity to rise above it all.

Everyone is invited to attend the third annual Mountain Music festival on Friday, Sept. 5, at the Chilkat Theater at the Mount Roberts Tramway. Several styles of music will be represented, from blues to bluegrass, as 10 local acts take the stage to perform 20-minute sets each.

The lineup will begin with Collette Costa and Company at6 p.m., followed (in no particular order) by Frank and Julie Delaplane and Steve Wilde, the Great Alaska Bluegrass Band, Pat Henry, Martha and Jim Stey, John Unzicker, Matt Barnes, The Zahasky Family Band, singer-songwriter Mike Truax, and teen bluegrass superstars College Bound. The performers will be joined on stage by Martha Stey as the master of ceremonies.

This unique venue has a tendency to grow on performers and spectators alike, offering a leap of 1,800 feet in elevation in a matter of mere minutes.

Mountain Music is the brainchild of Paul Zahasky of The Zahasky Family Band and George Reifenstein, manager of the Mount Roberts Tramway. Reifenstein organizes other performances at the tramway throughout the season, including appearances by the Zahaskys, who perform there on a regular basis.

"This is more like a mini folk festival, just a touch different," said Elva Bontrager, who is in charge of booking the performers.

"The fantastic view and the tram ride are unusual - nothing else in town has that kind of event. It's a way to get people up there."

In past years the atmosphere has been wonderful, with the theater's good acoustics attracting spectators who genuinely want to be there, Bontrager said. After all, a spot halfway to the top of a mountain on the edge of vast wilderness isn't likely to attract folks who are lukewarm about their music.

Previous festivals have been successful at getting people up there. Last year there were 212 tickets sold, which is more bodies than the 125-capacity Chilkat Theater has seats for. However, there are other seating options; the music will be amplified into the dining area for those who would like to enjoy a full dinner menu with their high-altitude tunes.

The event's planners are expecting that the event will get even larger in future years, perhaps even extending to two days and moving outdoors, weather-permitting.

Festival-goers will pay $10 for admission, which includes the cost of the tram ride. A hike up the mountain would be a lovely trek, but it won't waive the admission cost.

Those hoping to catch Costa's set at 6 p.m. are encouraged to trek quickly as they plan to start rocking right on time.

Tabor To Perform With Guests Aug. 23

Photo Courtesy of Buddy Tabor

Web posted August 21, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

There are plenty of proper ways to listen to a Buddy Tabor song.

For those unadventurous homebodies who still crave a dash of excitement, one trip to the store will bring any of several of Tabor's recordings into the comfort of their own cabin, cottage or bungalow. And those who prefer not to venture even that far from the computer chair can click their way to Tabor MP3 paradise.

In fact, the artist himself encourages the kind of deep listening that lends itself to more sedentary behaviors; for many fans his lyrical journeys and relaxed melodies are fitting companions to activities such as staring out the window and enjoying the view.

"My songs need to be listened to. They're not just dancing songs," Tabor said.

If you're a dancer, don't worry. Buddy also believes in free choice and won't be offended if you choose to enjoy his music by getting down and having a boogie, as long as you still listen to the words.

But those who enjoy live music at the bar will have to do it sans Buddy. For a musician of any kind, there may be nothing worse than to devote hours, weeks or even years to a piece only to have all that hard work drowned out by the sound of pub clatter. This is exactly why you won't find Buddy Tabor at a bar, either as a listener or a performer.

"I'd have to be paid at least $5,000 an hour," he said, "and even then I'd have doubts about showing up."

However, you can find him performing live at various other venues. He is scheduled to play at Resurrection Lutheran Church this Saturday, Aug. 23, at 7:30 p.m. This performance also celebrates Tabor's latest CD release, a boxed-set anthology comprised of the best songs he's written in the last 25 years.

The first time he heard Bob Dylan's music at age 17, Tabor was inspired to study it and was subsequently moved to write his own music. He also reveres Hank Williams and John Prine, though he sees them more as vehicles of inspiration rather than direct influences on his writing style.

"I'm not on the same level as these guys," he says.

However, many fans and admirers would beg to differ.

"Someone once told me I'm better than Dylan. I said, 'Trust me, I've been studying Dylan forever and his and my name should never be used in the same sentence.'"

Tabor has also made his way to Juneau's Wikipedia entry as one of the capital city's token musicians.

"I don't know who put me in there, but it wasn't me. I'm a legend, what can I tell you!" Tabor jokes, though he has been in Alaska for more than 40 years and his name has certainly spread to every corner of the state and beyond.

His music has even been featured on National Public Radio and also has received airplay on many mainstream radio stations throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Fans of Buddy's who wish to thank him for treating their eardrums all these years now have a good opportunity. A recent back injury has been keeping Tabor off of his feet lately, so all profits from album sales will be put toward his new accumulation of medical bills.

The entire population of Juneau is invited to come hear a mixture of old and new songs this Saturday, where he will also be joined by various friends on stage, including John Hartle, Betsy Simms and other musicians. Anyone who may be willing to add him as a dependent on their insurance policy is especially welcome.

Solitaire Champ | Stuck In A Glacial Desert

Web Posted July 17, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

Why did the chicken cross the moraine? To try and find a date. Unfortunately, her date turned out to be a turkey, but there happened to be plenty of IPA on tap to keep her busy until she found another. Welcome to life on the other side.

It's quite realistic to admit to the possibility of being single until the end of time. It isn't necessarily a truth that we're all running toward with open arms, but it's not a closed cycle yet. A conversation with a glaciation expert may be all a singlet needs to gain a boost of confidence in the lack-of-relationship department.

To the naked eye, glacial activity looks like anything but action. It may put up an appearance of functioning as a stagnant blockage of the water cycle; a stunt of the grunt, if you will, eternally stuck in a rut rather than accomplishing much for its mother to be proud of.

In fact, it may be tempting to call a glacier slothful, reclusive, just a big hunk (unfortunately not the kind of hunks we've been looking for), and taking up good potential driving passage. We don't mind our Icefield. It keeps the aliens out and the hooligans in, and it seems that the foreigners consider it more of a problematic disadvantage while the Juneau goons consider the separation a blessing.

However, with that mainland division can also come extreme emotional suffering and high degrees of turmoil, especially for non-twitterpated types. Until the ice of the mountains reunites with the water of the sea and we are connected with the rest of the world's dating pool, we're stuck with ourselves!

On a positive slant, as the glaciers disappear (which most of them are) they are uncovering brand spankin' new terrain that's ready to be bedded. One could go out on a limb and suggest that all this recently revealed base is probably feeling a bit lonely. No trees, no fungi, no mountain goats, only miles and miles of rock. It has been scraped to smithereens by the spillover purging of the Icefield's excess material for thousands or millions of years, depending on your belief system, then abandoned in the end with the slow death of its cold, blue friend, the only companion it has ever known. We shouldn't make any puns about glacial speed in this touchy situation. Nonetheless, a long time has been taken to chisel this landscape, and it's ready to rock.

Too much of the single life can often make a bachelorette feel like she's stuck in a proverbial glacial desert. It's a downer to feel destined to remain cold and dry forever. However, people are a lot like bedrock. There is massive formation going on and pressure grinding away all the fluff for a good foundation. After all, foundation is everything in a build. We look to the mountains and we see, there is still hope for even the chickens in this Arctic Sahara.

Solitaire Champ | It's Twitterpatin' Time Again

Web Posted June 29, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

It's finally spring in Juneau! For many of the creatures inhabiting our rain forest, this means it's that time of year again: twitterpatin' time.

That's right, Bambi-lovers young and old know that springtime is conjunction juncture, time for each to follow their animal instinct and start finding their flame. Let's observe some of our favorite critters in action -- perhaps they can impart something valuable to us.

Bald eagles reach sexual maturity between four and five years of age, at which point they are ready to begin the literal roller-coaster ride that is eagle dating. Potential pairs do a sort of trust flight where the birds chase each other, eventually locking talons for a final free fall, unlocking each other only in the final second before they would otherwise slam into the ground. Who knows how many times one has to land tail-feathers-first with the wrong suitor before a good match is finally made. Nevertheless, by early spring they will have become a pair committed enough to begin building a nest together. So long as they can avoid the temptation of cruise ship eagles from out of town, the pair will stick regally together, as long as they both shall live.

Black bear ladies, on the other hand, spend their summers seeing several different males and become pregnant with cubs who, though in the same litter, all have different fathers. Their black books must be just full of phone numbers.

Unlike many animals who stay close to home to find their mates, humpback whales go on seasonal vacations. Heading south for the winter to warmer waters, they will often swim for up to a month to reach the beach, fasting the whole time so as to look extra attractive in their swimsuits upon arrival. Competition for female attention is fierce. Groups of up to 40 male whales will escort one female, all the while trying with their hardest to establish dominance through a series of tricks. They'll spy-hop, tail-slap, breach, and even participate in singing contests to catch the lovely lady's heart.

However, for humans living In such an extreme climate with so many seasonal changes, the physical and emotional side effects of winter must be considered when it comes to mating and dating. Springtime lovin' in Juneau just has too much potential to be deficient. Alaskan humans are often still coming out of seasonal depression. Their skin is pasty, curdled, and otherwise unsightly. They aren't in their prime, but they often have the drive to work on themselves, to become desirable again.

Much like creatures who participate in hibernation, Alaska humans often spend the summers running around performing some sort of preparation for the coming winter, whether it's getting back in shape, working to supplement their winter income, or simply boosting their mood by getting out and enjoying the little bit of sunshine they will see for the year.

So perhaps the ideal time for us to unionize is in the fall, after a short, jam-packed summer season of personal betterment, physical improvement, and a growing sense of independence and confidence in oneself. Plus, when the snow starts flying it's the perfect time to cuddle up with someone. After all, twitterpation may also be the answer to saving a bit on the heat bill.

Solitaire Champ | Fractured Fairytales Foreshadow Failure

Photo Courtesy of Joel Irwin

Web Posted May 22, 2008

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

"Georgie Porgie, puddin' and pie, kissed the girls and made them cry." -Mother Goose

With training like this as children, is it any wonder why us single folk are often highly unsuccessful at finding eligible members of our preferred sex who make our hearts flutter and soar? I know I'm not the only one who has felt like a failure at some point during my dating career.

Well, good news, people! Our relational inability is no fault of our own. Mother Goose has had it in her plan all along for human babies to grow up unable to successfully reproduce, therefore leading the way for geese to rise as the dominant species! These nursery rhymes have been broadcast to us since before we were even able to comprehend their meaning. The legacies left through stories of horrible men, women, and animals have trained us to be the men, women, and animals that we are today.

Humans in these rhymes we recite don't usually grow up to be happy or hitched. Perhaps the most common mistake encouraged by these rhymes is just sitting around, feeling lonely, full of frustration from failed past attempts, waiting for a good date to just fall into one's lap without doing the work to actually initialize the action. Well, I guess she'll be comin' 'round the mountain when she comes, just whenever she feels like it. No rush, lady, I'll just be here... waiting... singing... I'm not saying it's outside the realm of possibility for her to come around, but odds aren't high. There's a reason why this rhyme is often dropped over and again, and with such sweet, patient angst.

We all remember Miss Muffet's suitor, a creepy arachnid who sneaked up and scared her off. This either teaches little girls to behave ridiculously in the presence of spiders, or it teaches little boys that it's all in good fun to act like creepy crawlies around chicks.

What caused the old woman in the shoe residence to have too many children to cope with? Perhaps she was bumped and dumped too many times by too many smooth talkers. But it is the father(s) of all the children who has perhaps set the worst example of all by not sticking by the family and helping with chores around the shoe.

And don't even get me started on Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater! Any man who would enforce his wife's fidelity by stuffing her inside a vegetable deserves, if anything, to be on some trashy crime channel, not in children's folklore!

Luckily, my mother prefaced things like nursery rhymes and stories about Santa Claus by saying that they were fun to imagine, but nothing more. In light of this practice by a few people's mothers, a small few of us have not been completely ruined by poisonous relationship rhymes.

However, I propose that the hopeless among us take time to reread these childhood classics with new eyes. Perhaps then we will realize the follies we have wrongly faced due to the influence of such misinterpreted blarney, find our mate after all, and live happily ever after.

Canadian Bluegrass: At home in Alaska

Photo Courtesy of Collin Goldie

Web posted September 20, 2007

By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

The Canadian bluegrass band Hungry Hill will visit Juneau for the first time this week, but the group's members aren't new to Alaska or its capital.

"I feel very at home in Alaska with these people who are so crazy about bluegrass," said Nadine Landry, Hungry Hill's bassist and vocalist.

Before Landry and fellow bandmates Jenny Lester, Bob Hamilton, Mark Thibeault, and Ross Nickerson formed the group, they were playing with other bands in festivals all over northwestern Canada and Southeast Alaska, including Juneau.

Landry, originally from Quebec, said she is especially fond of Southeast Alaska. She first visited Juneau in 2001 for the Alaska Folk Festival with only a few tunes under her belt. Year after year, she has returned and is now a regular in the Alaska bluegrass scene.

The five members of Hungry Hill don't just pride themselves on their tight, traditional bluegrass sound. The group's repertoire includes a few covers, but contrary to popular bluegrass practice, Hungry Hill's main focus is on writing original material.

Founding member Bob Hamilton compares his past bluegrass experiences to his time with Hungry Hill and says the emphasis that is put on originality in this group makes all the difference.

"It's a band where we write," said Hamilton, who was a member of the Undertakin' Daddies, which was nominated for best roots/traditional album at the 2002 Juno Awards (Canada's version of the Grammys). "Our new album is 100 percent original material, which is kind of unusual for a bluegrass band."

He said the writing is very intentional as well, as Hungry Hill tries to stay as true as possible to the roots of traditional bluegrass.

"It's cool to write within a specific genre that uses a certain kind of framework," Hamilton said.

The band also, according to Hamilton, composes specifically for its members, allowing each member to use his or her musical strengths in a way that playing cover songs just can't match.

Hamilton describes a writing process that can sometimes be difficult, as all of the band's members are spread across various parts of the Yukon Territory and British Columbia. Members take advantage of modern technology, e-mailing MP3 files back and forth and building layers on top of each other until they reach the final product.

Hamilton said it's a priority to set aside time to compose as a group, especially when members are able to get together in person. Often, at this stage, songs are half-formed and writing becomes a collaborative effort between all the members.

The group's second album, "Ride," was released Sept. 15 to a full house at the Yukon Arts Center in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. The band is touring Southeast Alaska and British Columbia to promote it.

Debbie Peters, the band's manager, says the Whitehorse crowd enjoyed Hungry Hill's performance.

"What people say about their music is that their original work just feels like bluegrass classics," Peters said.

The Whitehorse show was the first time many of Hungry Hill's new songs were played for an audience, and, to Landry, the crowd's enjoyment came as great encouragement.

"It's always good to know that people still care," she said.

Camping Bearfoot: Group Takes Tour Detour For Children's Jam Fest

Photo Courtesy of Bearfoot

Web posted July 12, 2007


By Libby Sterling | For the Juneau Empire

Alaska is home to a generous amount of foot-stomping bluegrass festivals and camps all year round.

During the day, participants enjoy the scheduled music or workshops, but the emergence of night is no reason to stop the hoedown. Spontaneous jam sessions are an essential bluegrass experience; no respectable festival can survive without them. They erupt anywhere there's enough space for a fiddle bow to noodle and a banjo pick to plunk.

Jammers move from session to session, often playing with fellow musicians they had never met.

There's always excitement about including the youngsters. Their parents dragged them along (or vice versa), and though they often appear hesitant to join in on the jam, one invitation from an elder is sometimes all a kid needs to participate and begin to develop a jamming technique.

So were the humble beginnings of the members of the now nationally acclaimed quintet, Bearfoot, formed in 1999. The all-Alaskan band includes Kate Hamre on acoustic bass, Mike Mickelson on guitar, Jason Norris on mandolin, and Angela Oudean and Annalisa Tornfelt on fiddles.

However, these are multi-talented folks who have been known to switch instruments from time to time. Each member also makes a vocal contribution amounting to multipart harmonies that breathe life into the auditory senses and remind listeners that it's good to be alive. They have recorded three full-length albums: Follow Me (2006), Back Home (2003), and Only Time Knows (2001), the last of which includes former original member Malani O'Toole.

After their Juneau visit, Bearfoot will resume a demanding tour schedule, including a gig opening for Lyle Lovett.

Being the offspring of musicians, it seemed natural for them to grow up as adolescents with the knack to knock everyone's socks off with their uncompromising melodies and sweet licks.

They look back fondly on their roots as young musicians and have now begun to foster the next generation of bluegrass greats through their bluegrass camps. The camps are held all across the U.S. and Canada and as far away as Ireland.

Bearfoot has taken a detour from their Lower 48 summer tour to put on a bluegrass camp this week at the Juneau Community Charter School. Children between the ages of 5 and 17 participated in classes in fiddle, guitar, mandolin, bass, banjo, and vocals in beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels.

Each child was also grouped into a band and prepared for a performance at the end of the week to showcase what he or she learned.

Camp side effects included square dancing and spontaneous jam sessions, which may lead to lifelong musical relationships and a severe case of instrument collecting.