Dedicated to the preservation of folk, traditional and acoustic music. QuarterNote s www.plankroad.org Winter Issue, January 2013 President’s Message Plank Road’s Happy New Year to all of you. It's 2013 and I have been thinking back to the time when I first started playing a guitar. Regular Events I always loved music and liked to sing, but didn't have the Sing-Around patience to sit still for music lessons; I was too busy playing Two Way Street Coffee House sports and just running around outside. When I went away to 1st and 3rd Saturdays - 2:00-4:00 PM college at Bradley University, I met some guys who played Bluegrass Jam guitars and sang and I would sit in and sing with them. One Two Way Street Coffee House day my friend Tom loaned me an old guitar and showed me 4th Saturday - 2:00-4:00PM a few chords, and soon I was hooked. 2ND Tuesday Song Circle – BYOS! I went home at Christmas and proudly strummed a few songs for my family (Long Two Way Street Coffee House Black Veil, etc), and they were thrilled. I am the oldest child in a large Irish Catholic 2nd Tuesday - 7:00-9:00 PM family, and my younger siblings have all learned to play, most of them better than A monthly opportunity for musicians to perform me, but they all credit me with providing the inspiration for what became a family tunes for each other, within a song circle. tradition. Whenever we get together, it isn't long before the guitars come out and Plank Road All-Volunteer the music begins. String Band Practice So, I would be interested in hearing from you. How and when did you start playing? First Church of Lombard And why? If you want to tell your story, please send it to me at 630-889-9121 [email protected], and we will post it on our Plank Road web site. 2nd Saturday - 2:00-4:00 PM Plank Road had a very successful year in 2012, as I told everyone at our annual LAST THURSDAY Open Mike meeting. We hosted 80 individual events, gained several new members and Two Way Street Coffee House sponsored a guitar workshop in May. We look forward to 2013 for more of the same, 7:00-9:30 PM with a few new twists. I hope to see all of you sometime soon. Last Thursday of every month. A monthly unplugged open mike for high school and —Bob O’Hanlon college-age students only. Go to www.plankroad.org and/or www.twowaystreet.org A Few PRFMS 2012 Event Highlights 3 for full details! Upcoming Events Old Time Barn Dance Party and Downers Grove Annual Ice Sculpture Festival/ Pancake Breakfast Sat., February 9 See top of back page for details. Heather Styka & Mark Dvorak The Maple Street Chapel In Lombard at Main and Maple Sun., Feb. 17, 3:00 PM facebook@ Maple Street Chapel Folk Concerts See page 7 Shilt Jen by Photos 25TH International Folk Alliance Conference Toronto, Canada February 20-24 Row 1: Winter Old Time Barn Dance 2/12 www.folk.org Row 2: Holiday Party 12/12, Log Cabin Jam 9/12 Music of the Civil War Row 3: Eric Lambert Workshop & Concert 5/12, Holiday Party 12/12, Downers Grove Rotary GroveFest 6/12 Paul Passen on hammered dulcimer Harper College, Music Center, P205 Thurs., Feb. 28, 12:30 PM, Free A huge thank you to departing board members Cathy Jones and Charley Smart for their years of volunteer service on behalf of acoustic music. Please make welcome new board members Barbara Ellingsen and Gary Steffenson. QuarterNotes Plank Road Folk Music Society Winter Issue, January 2013 Donna Stjerna and Still on the Hill Donna Stjerna and Kelly Mulhollan play mostly original, roots- based acoustic “folkgrass” in their duo, Still on the Hill. This article was written from an interview with Donna during a music retreat in Arkansas last spring, at Wattle Hollow. While listening to the recording of this interview, I was drawn back to the Ozark Mountains surrounding Fayetteville, Arkansas. To the thick, green woods, to the sound of birdsong everywhere. A home-sickness set in for a home I’ve never known. Such is the call of the Ozarks. Sit back and relax, read along and enjoy a visit to Arkansas in the springtime. Get to know some musically-minded folks of extraordinary good will. –Vicki Relaxing together on the wooden plank steps of one of the many decks of Wattle Hollow last May, surrounded by deep woods and the creatures of the forest, Donna and I started talking about some of the projects she and Kelly do through music. As we spoke, we could hear the music made by retreat participants as they jammed together during the afternoon break, and sometimes it seemed as if the birds were singing along with them. Thus, our interview was pleasantly punctuated with guitars, fiddles and mandolins and the songs of the Red Eyed Vireo, the Northern Parula and Tufted Titmouse. Donna Stjerna and Kelly Mulhollan “I think it is important for us as human beings to interact socially in through the school system and other venues, and, working on various causes through (for starters, an example) the Fayetteville the respect that we help do whatever Omni Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology (Omni Center) - let’s pause to talk about the framework around which their work we can to be part of that whole is done. Music! tapestry.” It takes two duos to do all the music Donna and Kelly hold in their hearts and minds. Still on the Hill puts on a new set of clothes (literally and figuratively) and changes their name to It is impossible to fully describe Still on the Hill in one article, Toucan Jam when they perform some of their educational and for they are many things. Besides making their living as touring multicultural shows. Whether as Still on the Hill or Toucan Jam, acoustic musicians and recording artists, who play original Donna and Kelly have been recognized together and individually songs with great expertise, Donna and Kelly interact with their for their musical expertise with many awards, including “Best community on many levels - exceptionally so. Donna and I Folk Group of the Ozarks” and “Best Guitarist” (Kelly). Julie began our conversation talking about their community work Koehler, from Bluegrass Now, said “…their original material is and what drives them to do it. packed with new ideas, social awareness and a level of intellect “Kelly and I both, we love our community, for one thing,” Donna and consciousness that’s seldom found in contemporary tunes.” said. “Fayetteville is an amazing community… We have not a lot The Toucan Jam CD, “A World of Music,” won them the of finances, being folk musicians, to donate to different causes Parents’ Choice Approved Award and Best New Artist in that we believe in, or to do financial work to fix what needs Children’s Music Web Award; they developed a family program fixin’… And, we feel the world gives us so much, and our of the same name for festivals, concerts and special events with community gives us so much, that we feel that if we use our the music of this CD. art and our music to somehow give back… we feel it’s as an I encourage you to visit their website, www.stillonthehill.com. important a part of what we do (with) our life, just our life, to The site is beautifully done, and a fun and relaxing activity in be active some way in the world… itself. Available there are nine CDs (including a compilation and “I really think as humans, humanity, we are very social beings. solo recordings) and an excellent video documentary that you And, I think it is important for us as human beings to interact don’t want to miss, “Ozark: A Celebration in Song.” socially in the respect that we help do whatever we can to be But, if you ever get the chance, don’t miss Donna’s and Kelly’s part of that whole tapestry. And everybody has different ways live performance. Maybe you were one of the lucky ones who they can do it. People that have money can do it with their saw their unforgettable performance at Denny Davis’ and Jim money. People that have a gift of teaching could go to nursing Wilson’s house concert several years ago. homes and just read to the elders or whatever way that “If we ever lose power in Northwest Arkansas, we could tap capacity is. Ours happens to be through our music. So, we into the energy of Still on the Hill and have enough left to air have to have a big chunk of what we do be socially-minded, condition Texas!!!” said Keith and Ezra from Trout Fishing in community-minded.” America. Part of the high-energy showmanship could be due Before we go further into the community work Donna and Kelly to Donna’s history of years on the road as a fiddler in a country do - conducting children’s shows and educational workshops show band, playing the Reno/Vegas circuit. Donna Stjerna - Continued on page 4 2 QuarterNotes Plank Road Folk Music Society Winter Issue, January 2013 MUSIC INSTRUCTION Creativity Find out more about Still on the Hill and by Donna Stjerna - Still on the Hill, with Kelly Mulhollan their recordings: www.stillonthehill.com The following article was written from my notes of a workshop Spend time with on creativity presented by Donna at a 2012 music retreat held in Arkansas at Wattle Hollow.