Membership Renewal/App 14

In the spotlight…Rod Deacey

From the President 2

Open Mics 2

Songwriters’ SONGFEST 3

Songwriters’ SHOWCASE 3

Gear of the Month 4

Poetry with John Holly 5

Music Variety Showcase 5

Inside this issue:

Board of Directors 14

Pete Seeger Tribute Info 13

Pull up a chair 6

Comfortable Concert Series 8

Hill Chapel Concert Series 9

In the Spotlight 10

Scholarship Info 11

Traditional Folk Song Circle 12

The Songs We Sing 12

PS:A tribute to Pete Seeger — Come celebrate

his life and music March 2. Details on page 13. March 2014

A familiar

face in the

music scene

in and

around

Frederick,

Rod Deacey

is an

intriguing

character

that goes

beyond his

English

accent, the

twinkle in

his eye, and

his keen

sense of

humor.

See story on

page 10. Photo by Todd C Walker

Open Mics

Page 2

Frederick Coffee Company & Café, 100 N. East Street, Frederick:

Every Tuesday night 7-10 PM, Todd C Walker hosts. This open mic

welcomes all “family friendly” talent. Generally, performers receive the

equivalent of time for two songs each. Enjoy good food from the

enhanced menu in a welcoming and warm, inclusive atmosphere. Sign-

up list fills quickly, so come early if you can.

Beans in the Belfry, 122 W. Potomac Street,

Brunswick, Maryland: Third Thursday of each

month 7-9 PM, Tomy “One M” Wright hosts this cozy venue with great acoustics, as it

is an old church reclaimed as a coffeehouse with a friendly, relaxing atmosphere. This is a

SAW- and FAME-endorsed open mic which draws performers from both groups, as well

as the local area. Format is a first-come, first-served sign-up list with usually 2 or 3 songs

each. Percussion available upon request.

Staff photo

From the President Hi folks,

Peace,

Rick Hill

The mission of F.A.M.E. is to promote, preserve and nurture acoustic music in and

around Frederick County. We have a variety of ways that we do those things including

endorsing Open Mics and concert series. I think it is good that F.A.M.E. is gaining some

respect for being that kind of a resource. So, when people ask, I refer them to our

members' page (http://frederickacoustic.org/members-sites). If you are interested in

being listed on that page, please send me your contact information along with a sentence

or two that describes the kind of music you perform. If you have a website, that can go

in as well. If you don't have a website that is fine, just send a phone number where you

can be fairly easily reached. It would also be nice to have a picture of you or your group.

Together we can make F.A.M.E. an organization that really does promote acoustic music!

Keep listening, keep playing, keep living! ♪♪

NEW OPEN MIC VENUE !

!

The Reunion, 207 W. Patrick Street, Frederick, Wednesdays, 7:30 PM, hosted by Once In A Blue Moon

How It All Started

After spending nearly 16 years with Pargo’s and

the past four and a half years as the successful

owner of South Street Subs in New Market, Andy

Gorman is now bringing back some of Pargo’s

classics. He has teamed up with Cecilia Nuessle to

pursue his lifelong dream.

A new place where old friends meet: The

Reunion is now open for business! We serve a

variety of delicious food and seasonal beverages at

great prices. Our large menu is designed to provide

you with choices that promise to meet the needs of

everyone in your party.

Page 3

Monday Songwriters’ Showcase Brewer’s Alley, 2nd Floor, 124 N. Market Street, Frederick, MD, Shows begin at 7:30 PM

Photo courtesy of Todd C Walker

Sunday Songwriters’ Songfest Frederick Coffee Company and Café

100 N. East Street, Frederick, MD

Every other Sunday at 4 PM Todd C Walker puts together an

afternoon of local, regional, and sometimes national talent.

Songwriters perform 30-40 minute sets.

Performers are not paid, so please tip generously.

3rd Basswood

10th Brad Yoder

17th Andrew McKnight

24th Tony Denikos

31st The Potters!

March 9

Aaron Burns Nikia Sayre

March 23

Dan Mack Steve Warner

Now in its ninth year, the Monday Night Songwriters Showcase can be enjoyed every Monday at 7:30 PM in

beautiful downtown Frederick, in the upstairs dining room at Brewer’s Alley. The program begins promptly at

7:30 PM with a piano prelude. Each week a local, regional, or national songwriter showcases his/her songs

with a 35-45 minute set. Although there is no door charge, we do “pass the hat” during the featured artist

set. We also showcase three other songwriters who each perform three original songs. Somewhere in the mix,

we throw in some poetry from our resident poets, John Holly and Rod Deacey. Our emcees are Ron Goad,

Todd C Walker, and Tomy “one M” Wright. If time allows, our emcees may perform. Please come and

support LIVE MUSIC!

Our featured songwriters are a mix of national and regional touring performers, with many award winners

from all genres. If you would like a calendar for the first part of 2014, please e-mail Rod (roddc@xecu.net)

and he’ll send you one. For information about playing a three-song spot, contact (1) Ron Goad:

MisterGoad@aol.com, (2) Todd C Walker: todd@toddcwalker.com, or (3) Rod Deacey: roddc@xecu.net. For

info on featuring (the 45-minute money spot!), contact Rod Deacey: roddc@xecu.net.

Photo by Todd C Walker

Gear of the Month by Todd C Walker Page 4

If you perform music live, then you know the importance of good sound

reinforcement. If you’re a singer, then learning how to breathe correctly, project and

sing “on pitch” is paramount. Once that is achieved, it’s a great idea to use the best

microphone you can afford. A cheap mic will make you sound cheap, no matter how

good your voice is, and will have lots of handling noise. So let’s look at two affordable

professional microphones and compare them.

The tried & true Shure SM58 cardioid dynamic microphone is used on stages and in

recording studios around the world. It is one of the best-selling vocal microphones of

all time. The SM58 was introduced in 1966 and quickly became the number one choice

of rock musicians looking for a good-sounding, durable stage microphone.

The SM58 looks good, sounds good and is road tough (I’ve owned mine since the

early 1970’s). It works for rock, jazz, folk, pop and rap – a great mic for every style of

music. New you can purchase an SM58 for $99.00. Depending upon the condition,

used SM58’s can be found as low as $50-$60. Everyone should own at least one of these road warriors.

Second, a relative newcomer to the handheld vocal microphone market (2010), the AKG D5 super-cardioid

dynamic microphone is described by some industry reviewers as a new & improved SM58. AKG, founded in

Vienna, Austria in 1947, introduced the first dynamic cardioid microphone in 1953. An AKG D19c mic was

the microphone used as the overhead for Ringo Starr’s drums.

The D5 is described as having low handling noise and maximum gain before feedback. It is slightly larger

that the SM58 and has a modern angular appearance, similar to the Shure Beta 87 series and the Neumann

KMS-104/105 mics. Average retail price is $99.00. Both mics sound

great, but let’s get into the pros and cons of both.

SM58 – Warm, smooth sound with very good proximity effect (low

end is accentuated when close to the mic). Can at times sound muddy

and muffled when close-mic’d, especially with a heavy vocal. The

SM58 is a nice mic for thin-voiced vocalists and folks with good mic

etiquette. It is an overall great microphone. The only negative is the

occasional muddiness. Gain is average and may not be the best

microphone for singers with weak vocals, but I find that I can increase

gain to quite a high level before getting high-pitched feedback

(squeal).

AKG D5 – Crisp “alive” sound. Proximity effect is present but not

as predominant as the SM58. The D5 is a wonderful mic for cutting

through a band mix and for singers with weaker voices. It has almost

as much gain as my favorite condenser mic(s). Not as warm sounding

as the SM58, but crisper overall, with higher gain. I have discovered

that I have to roll off more of the highs with this mic to keep the

“crispness” in check (think high-pitched squeal) and it’s not as warm

as the SM58, but it’s louder.

Which one would I chose if I could only afford one? Both. I mean

that with all sincerity. Purchase the Shure SM58, or maybe the Beta58

(less proximity effect), save your money and then purchase a D5.

Having a back-up mic is a good thing, plus the dynamics of the room

may determine which mic you use. A heavily carpeted dead room will

be a great time to use the AKG D5. A lively room might be better

with the smoothness of the Shure SM58. It’s always good to have

choices.

Note: A third option for budget-minded folks is the Sennheiser e835

series (I own three). The e835 has about the same gain as the SM58, but is somewhat crisper with less

proximity effect. Average retail price is $99.00.

SM58 (left) and D5 (right); both are excellent

choices. Todd recommends having one of each.

Gear photos by Todd C Walker

Poetry with John Holly Frederick Coffee Company and Café, Every-other Thursday evening from 7-9 PM.

Come join us at the reserved tables at Frederick Coffee Company and Café for an

evening of poetry. We feature published poets and themes according to the season. We

always welcome original works from F.A.M.E. members and guests who would like to

share, read, or listen.

The Epicure Cafe, 11213 A Lee Highway (route 29) Fairfax, VA: Second

and fourth Wednesdays at 8 PM, hosted by Ron Goad. Open Mic: Show

up, sign up, perform 1-3 songs. Epicure is an independently owned and family

-run cafe with tasty food, including appetizers, Greek specialties, salads,

sandwiches, subs, pasta, desserts, coffee drinks, wine, and beer — ask about

The Gourmet Musical Pizza! Epicure features various creative events that fill

every night of the week, including wonderful musical acts, local art

exhibitions, open mics, poetry readings, comedy, and now: storytelling! All

this and an outdoor hookah!

Music Variety Showcase

John Holly

Photo by Todd C Walker

March 13 Open Poetry Night “Come out, get a poetry fix,

March 27 Open Poetry Night some coffee, and have fun.”

Todd Now go make some music! ♪♪

Here’s another neat gear item I found

yesterday at Home Depot - GearTie reusable

rubber twist ties. As many of you know, I run

sound for multiple events and venues. I

sometimes run 8-10 mic cables and guitar

cords, which means I have a good supply of

cables stashed in carry bags. I call them my

“spaghetti” because although I carefully coil

them before storing them into the bags, when I pull them out, one tangles into

another and I have a “spaghetti mess.” I have purchased Velcro cable ties, but

I find that they stick to each other and can be frustrating. These new GearTie thingies are great. Bright colors

so I won’t lose them, stiff enough to not unravel and perfect for allowing me to reach into a bag a pull out one

cable at a time. Two thumbs up !!

Page 5

ATTENTION MEMBERS:

Do you have a background in accounting or legal or any experience filing for

non-profit status with the IRS? If so, F.A.M.E. needs your help

Please contact Todd at

todd@toddcwalker.com

Pull up a Chair…

Folk Music and the Coffee House connection

by Frederick Folklorist

Page 6

I was asked by one of the F.A.M.E. board members a couple of years ago how I first

came to hear about their organization. I told him that when I moved to Frederick I

wanted to find a place where I could go to listen to the kind of music that I liked. That

would be acoustic music, and more precisely, acoustic folk music. I also knew that if

you wanted to find folk music in a new city the first place you go to look for it is at

the local coffee house. In this case that would be the Frederick Coffee Company. That

leads me to the topic of the article. Why, with all the different music genres in the

world, is folk music so closely associated with coffee houses?

To be honest with you, folk music in coffee houses has been around for a long time...I mean a really long

time...over 1,000 years ago…in Turkey. I’d like to focus here on the U.S. coffee houses in the early 60’s.

So, to answer the question as to why folk music and coffee houses are intertwined, you have to look at a

couple of reasons actually, but the main reason is a very practical one – space. Coffee houses tend to be

smaller, more compact places than your typical restaurant. With folk music, all you really need is space for one

person to stand with a guitar. Put him in the corner that’s not being used, he doesn’t care. All he wants is

enough room to perform. Other reasons are more social and philosophical. In the 1800’s and 1900’s coffee

houses were typically the meeting places for writers, artists, and radicals across Europe. That tradition carried

over to the U.S. when the immigrants landed and began to disperse. Coffee shops in the U.S. arose from the

espresso/pastry centered Italian coffee houses in the Italian American immigrant communities in the major

U.S. cities. Boston’s North End, San Francisco’s North Beach, and most notably in New York City’s Little

Italy and Greenwich Village.

When most people think of folk music coffee houses in the 60’s they think of Greenwich Village. When you

stop and look at how many places opened up in about a three-

year span within a four-block radius, it’s amazing. I’ve picked

just a few of them to talk about.

Gerde’s Folk City opened in 1960 on West 4th Street. Doc

Watson made his first solo performance there. Peter, Paul and

Mary’s first official performance as a trio was at Gerde’s. Bob

Dylan played his first professional gig there on April 11, 1961,

supporting John Lee Hooker. In fact, it was there at Gerde’s

Folk City that Dylan debuted “Blowin’ In The Wind.” It was

also where he met Joan Baez for the very first time.

The Gaslight Café opened in 1958, in the basement of 116

MacDougal Street. If you’ve seen the new movie “Inside Llewyn Davis” you’ve seen what the inside of the

old Gaslight Café would have looked like. It was originally a “basket house” where unpaid performers would

pass around a basket at the end of each set in

the hopes of making a little money. It was

dark, steamy and had an underground feeling,

literally, because it was in the basement. In the

Folk Music Encyclopedia, Donald Milton

wrote, “The Gaslight was weird then because

there were air shafts up to the apartments

and the windows of the Gaslight would open

into the air shafts, so when people would

applaud the neighbors would get pissed and

call the police. So then the audience couldn’t

Photo by Todd C Walker

New York City coffee house photos this page and next courtesy of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl46u6ljC4A

IMT presents weekly concerts in the fall, winter, and spring, in either Rockville or Takoma Park. They also

present special events, icon concerts, family concerts, and workshops throughout the year, as well as

occasional, Next to the House concerts in Takoma Park. Their venues range in size from 50 seats to 500 seats.

The Institute of Musical Traditions (IMT) is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization which preserves

and promotes American and international folk music traditions and nurtures new styles evolving from these

cultural roots by presenting concerts, workshops, and educational programs.

applaud; they had to snap their fingers when they liked

a song.” Now you know why some folkies snap their

fingers when they approve of a performance.

The Village Gate opened in 1958, at 158 Bleecker

Street in the Village. It was really a little bit of

everything. A little folk, a little jazz, a little comedy.

Café Wha? opened in 1959, at 115 MacDougal Street

by Manny Roth, the uncle of David Lee Roth.

The Bitter End opened in 1961, at 147 Bleecker

Street. It’s resident poet/comedian was Hugh Romney

who later became known as “Wavy Gravy” at

Woodstock. Anybody who was anybody played the

Bitter End.

All five coffee houses I highlighted were only a

couple blocks away from each other, many on the

same street, and as you can see, opened within a couple of years from each other. How cool is that!

I hate to paint folk music with a broad brush, but folk music tends to be more a “poke in your sides” kind of

music. It makes you think, makes you mad, makes you laugh and cry, but hopefully, it makes you act upon

your feelings. I think back to the life of the late Pete Seeger and I think that would have been the biggest

compliment you could give him. Not that you liked the melody or the words of his songs, but that it caused

you to make a change in your life and the lives of those around

you.

Coffee Houses tend to be a slower paced place for people to

unwind and talk. It’s at these times when we are most relaxed

that our minds and hearts are open to new ideas. Folk music

helped to provide those new ideas. What a perfect fit. A

strong argument could be made that coffee houses contributed to

the social changes of the 60’s and 70’s in the U.S.

One final note I’d like to make. Most of the owners of these

coffee houses loved the music and the messages. They didn’t

open them up to make a fortune, they opened them up to make a

statement. Very few of these types of owners exist these days and that’s a shame. The patrons of the golden

age of coffee houses felt like participants and caretakers of careers. Nowadays I’m afraid they feel like

commodities to be tallied between net and gross sales. As Dylan said, “The times they are a changin’.”

For the first time ever my video link to highlight the article won’t be of music, but of Judy Collins talking

about Greenwich Village and the coffee houses with some still-shots of the places I’ve highlighted above;

click here. I hope you enjoy. As for me...when the world comes to an end, I want to be in a good old fashioned

folk music coffee house with a glass of iced tea...because they’re always 10 years behind the times!

Page 7

Comfortable Concerts hosts

Upcoming Comfortable Concerts

April 11 Barbara Martin www.barbaramartinmusic.com

May 9 Jeremy Neely www.neelymusic.com

May 30 Jason Myles Goss www.jasonmylesgoss.com

June 20 Brett Barry http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=2UrEeUsKQXQ

July 11 Jeff Miller www.jeffmilleronline.com

August 15 Buzz Cason www.buzzcason.com

Local award-winning singer/songwriter, PETE LOONEY

Page 8

Join us on March 14 for an amazing evening of music. Pete will entertain us with his thought

provoking, yet sensitive lyrics and melodies.

“Pete Looney is an award-winning singer/songwriter from Silver Spring, Maryland. In 2009 he

won gold and bronze for two of his songs in the Jazz/Blues Vocal category of the Mid Atlantic

Song Contest. Pete has been performing in the area since the mid 80's as a guitarist, bassist and

vocalist. His songs cover a wide range of

musical influence from blues and rock

to country and reggae.”

http://www.reverbnation.com/petelooney

Won't you join us for a wonderful evening

with friends, fun, food, and MUSIC?

When: March 14, 2014

Doors open: 7:30pm

Suggested donation: $10-$20/person

RSVP: by March 12 (Robin):

kmarkle6@hotmail.com

Mention the F.A.M.E. newsletter.

Come hungry, there is a lot of

food and beverages served

6 East Main Street

New Market, 21774

Most THURSDAY NIGHTS

7:30 to 9:30 PM

Page 9

Concert Hall & Venue

Suggested donation $15

for most shows.

Subscriptions available:

5 Shows - $60

10 Shows - $100

Please call the Hill Chapel

for more information

(301) 882-7172

Doors open 7:00 PM ~~ Arrive early to ensure seating ~~ Shows begin at 7:30 PM

Click on the artists’ names below; the links take you

straight to their Websites for bios, videos, & music

Upcoming Hill Chapel Concerts 6 Robin Bullock

13 Doug Alan Wilcox

20 Ronnie Smith

22 Tim Connell and Jack Dwyer (Saturday Night) Fundraiser for Music in New

27 Andrew McKnight Market

Born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, near legendary

Stonehenge, he attended Kimbolton School, in Huntingdon,

Cambridgeshire, which is, he noted, in the castle where

Catherine of Aragon was sent when Henry VIII was trying to

divorce her. He then went to College at Bangor, N. Wales.

He started playing music at coffee bars and folk clubs while

attending college, he said, and then did a two-year stint street-

singing around Europe in places like Paris, Amsterdam,

Geneva, and the South of France doing cover tunes and

original songs.

Deacey is a singer-songwriter and a poet. He’s also a

musician; he plays six- and twelve-string guitar, slide guitar,

harmonica, octave mandolin, banjo, and ukulele. His favorite

guitars, he said, are a twelve-string graphite Rainsong and a

custom Lazy River six-string cocobolo and cedar with lizard

inlays.

Before coming to the U.S., he ran folk clubs in England, up

to five at one time, he said, in Somerset in the West of

England and put on several three-day folk festivals. He

appeared on Cyril Tawney’s Folk program and other programs on [British] Westward TV, as a duo with

harmonica player, John Lloyd (formerly Alexis Korner Band). They expanded the duo to a four- to five-piece

band called Saltpeter and played locally and regionally in Devon, Dorset, Somerset, and briefly on the London

Pub Circuit. He also opened for major bands on the West Country leg of their national tours, such as Mott the

Hoople, Hawkwind, Magna Carta, and several others.

In 1979, Rod moved to California, where he played various venues up and down the West Coast. He moved

to upstate New York in 1992 and then to Maryland in 1993.

Here he has been a promoter of live acoustic music notably in the “late and lamented,” as he says, WestSide

Cafe, from 2004 on. He estimates the number of shows he has put on, including Black Box theater and

festivals on Carroll Creek, to be approximately 700 to 800 shows. This includes the Brewer’s Alley

Songwriters Showcase every Monday since May of 2007 (except for the second, third, and fourth Mondays in

December.

Rod is a pillar of the music scene in Frederick. And, his music, poetry, and commentary are always great

additions to any gathering. ♪♪

Page 10 In the spotlight…Rod Deacey

It’s a party — and you’re invited!

Sunday, March 2, from 2-5 p.m.

Brewers Alley — Upstairs

Let’s give Rod a proper birthday party!

This is also a “variety show.” Folks

who would like to perform, can!

(as time allows)

Todd C Walker, Emcee

Photos and graphics design by Todd C Walker

Some organizations in the area that you may want to check out:

Folk Alliance International exists to foster and

promote traditional, contemporary, and multicultural

folk music and dance and related performing arts.

Washington Area Music Association

Baltimore Songwriters Association Songwriters’ Association of Washington

DC Bluegrass Union

Folklore Society of Greater Washington

Baltimore Folk Music Society

Scholarships As part of our mission to nurture acoustic music in and around Frederick County, F.A.M.E. has set up a

scholarship fund. Ten percent of your membership fees goes to support this fund as well as money from

workshops and other events. At the moment, we have $795 in the Scholarship Fund.

1. This scholarship is designed to fund a learning experience. 2. Preference will be given to F.A.M.E members. Member activity level will also be part of the

consideration. 3. The applicant must use the scholarship for an activity or project that meets the goals of F.A.M.E. 4. The applicant must provide the following:

The completed scholarship application. An interview; audio, video or personal, explaining the project, how it will help the applicant in light

of the goals of F.A.M.E. and how the applicant will use the skills/information learned to benefit the

acoustic music community. 5. The recipient of the scholarship must return to give a workshop related to their project.

6. The recipient must give a report at the F.A.M.E. annual meeting (written or oral).

7. Deadline for filing is March 31st.

The Scholarship Committee will make their decision by April 30th.

Download the Scholarship Form, fill it out and mail it to:

FAME, 6509 Springwater Ct, #6404, Frederick, MD 21701

Scholarships will be awarded annually

Deadline to apply is March 31st of each year

Page 11

The Songs We Sing by Caryl Velisek

Traditional Folk Song Circle

Second Anniversary Celebration February 8 Dublin Roasters Coffee, 1780 N. Market Street, Frederick

Second Saturday of each month 2-4 PM

Page 12

It was February 2012, when Tomy “One M” Wright originated and hosted

F.A.M.E.’s first Traditional Folk Song Circle at Dublin Roasters Coffee with about

25 attendees. Fast-forward two years to February 2014 – the Song Circle is still going

strong with a record-setting attendance of 36 folks! Toes were tapping and bodies

were swaying to the music as we celebrated the second anniversary of the Song

Circle February 8th. The group also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’

first concert in the United States by singing three Beatle songs. In addition, four Pete

Seeger songs were sung in celebration of his life. And of course, as is our tradition,

members shared their fond memories of the “British Invasion” and Seeger’s legacy,

for Pete’s sake! A total of 35 songs were sung – 15 of these for the first time at this

event. To date, we have sung 304 (25%) of the 1,200 songs found in the Rise Up

Singing songbook. The group’s eventual goal is to sing all of the songs in the

songbook. The celebration ended with singing Rubber Blubber Whale and sharing a

delicious cake with chocolate mousse filling. Yummy!

Attendees included Charlotte Abney, Dori Balin, Margie Barber, Barbara Bosher,

Ginny Brace, Brad Calhoun, Andy Celmer, Barbara Collins, John Cooper, Patricia Cronin, Todd Dutton,

Karen Fetters, Dan Frasier, Judy Getz, Craig Gillespie, James Gillespie, Marilyn Gillespie, Roy Greene, Chris

Harrison, Rick Hill, David Koronet, Laura Lawrence, Kathy Lee, Jeannie Lloyd, Steve Lloyd, Doug Lundgren,

Doug May, Gloria McCracken, Janice Minor, Lynn Purdum, Kristy Smith, Mike Sodos, Caryl Velisek, George

Waxton, Valerie Wittkamper, and our Song Circle Host, Tomy (one "M") Wright. The group was delighted to

welcome several first-timers to the event and hopes to see everyone at our March Song Circle. ♪♪

Photo by Todd C Walker

Tomy “one M” Wright

We started off our February Song Circle with our old favorite, “You Are My Sunshine” followed by “Dream

A Little Dream Of Me,” “Take Me Home Country Roads,” “Dock Of The Bay,” “Early Morning Rain,” and

“Five Hundred Miles.”

“The Band Played On,” written in 1895, has become a pop standard and was featured in at least two films,

Raoul Walsh's The Strawberry Blonde (starring that famous strawberry blonde, Rita Hayworth) and Alfred

Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train. The most famous recording was made by Guy Lombardo in 1941; and, it

was also done by Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Another song from the Victorian Era, written in 1891, “After The Ball,” became the most successful song of

its era, going by the number of sales of sheet music. The story in the song is about an older man who tells his

niece the reason he never married was because he had seen his sweetheart kissing another man at the Ball and

refused to listen to her explanation. Many years later, after the woman died, he learned it was her brother he

had seen her kiss.

In tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ introduction to the U.S., we sang “Here Comes The Sun,”

“With a Little Help From My Friends” and “We Can Work It Out.” Paul McCartney wrote the words and

music to the latter; he and John Lennon wrote the middle together. It was George Harrison's idea to put the

middle into three-quarter time, like a waltz.

In honor of much-loved folk musician, Pete Seeger, who died January 27, 2014, we sang “O Had I A

Golden Thread,” “If I Had A Hammer,” “Turn, Turn, Turn” and one of my favorites, “Where Have All the

Flowers Gone,” which has functioned as a theme song for the Folk era. Seeger wrote the first three verses in

1955 and Joe Hickerson added the additional verses in 1960, turning it into a circular song. We sang Ian

Tyson's “Four Strong Winds” and followed it with “Farther Along,” “In the Garden,” “Swing Low, Sweet

Chariot,” “The Little White Duck,” “Jamaica Farewell,” and a few show tunes.

“Mr. Bojangles” was originally written and recorded by country artist, Jerry Jeff Walker. He said he was

inspired to write it after an encounter with a street performer in a New Orleans jail and that the song

does not refer to stage and movie personality, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. Walker said the man in the

jail told a sad story about his dog, which got heavy, so he did a tap dance to lighten the mood.

You can see we do an eclectic mix that includes most folks’ favorite genres. Come join us in March and sing

along! ♪♪

Page 13

F.A.M.E. Board of Directors

Rick Hill, President

Todd C Walker, Vice President

Tomy Wright, Treasurer

Karen Fetters, Secretary

Hank Kobrinski

Max Honn

Roy Greene, Editor

F.A.M.E. Newsletter welcomes your photos

and stories about local acoustic music and musicians.

Please email submissions to the editor at

roy.greene@yahoo.com by the 15th preceding the

month of publication. Submissions subject to editing.

F.A.M.E. Goals: To nurture, promote and preserve original

and traditional acoustic music of all genres in Frederick

and Frederick County through live music, education

and community outreach.

To educate aspiring musicians and the general

public about all aspects of original and traditional

acoustic music of all genres via workshops, open

mics, showcases and concerts.

To reach out to the community via workshops and

concerts, especially through schools and youth

organizations and the setting up of mentoring

opportunities for young and aspiring acoustic musicians.

Page 14

Membership Categories

Benefits

Single $25 Newsletter, Sticker, T-Shirt (at initial sign-up), Annual Picnic

Family $50 Newsletter, (2) Stickers, (2) T-Shirts (at initial sign-up), Annual Picnic (for two)

Corporate $100 Newsletter, Window Sticker, T-Shirt (at initial sign-up), Annual Picnic, Website Link

Lifetime $200 Newsletter, Sticker, T-Shirt (at initial sign-up), Annual Picnic, FREE Workshops

Senior (65+) $10 Newsletter, (Annual picnic at cost)

Membership runs from January 1 thru December 31

Name: __________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________

City: ____________________________________________

State: ________ ZIP Code: __________________________

Phone: __________________________________________

Email: ___________________________________________

Please mail to: F.A.M.E. Membership, 6509 Springwater Court, #6404, Frederick, MD 21701

Questions: (301) 639-1050

Membership Category

______________________

Amount Enclosed:

$ ___________ . OO

Date: __________________