Annie & Mac - Old Time Music: News

We did a show in the gazebo at Rose Hill Park on Main Street in Berryville, VA on Aug. 24. We were joined by bass player George Hodgkiss, owner and operator of Phoenix Productions recording studio in Browntown, VA. Also joining us was fiddler Harold Senseny of Winchester. Harold has played fiddle and mandolin for many years and accompanied Patsy Cline. Our thanks to Berryville Main Street (www.berryvillemainstreet.org) for sponsoring this event and to Bill Johnston for providing the sound system and hosting the show.

Mac was honored to join legendary Virginia fiddler, Speedy Tolliver, and the New Old Time String Band (led by Andrew Acosta) at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage on Tuesday, Aug. 21. You can watch the show on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage web site (www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/archive)--search for "Speedy Tolliver." Mac regularly plays with Speedy and Andrew and the band (check out www.andrewacosta.com).

This was our first visit to this festival held in a baseball field. Beautiful weather and scenery and talented musicians came together to provide a very enjoyable weekend. The contests on Friday and Saturday evenings made for a wonderful stage show with quite a variety of talents. Mac competed in the banjo contest and each of us competed in the folksong category.

"Paradise for old time music lovers" are the words used to describe Clifftop, WV, and we agree. At the Appalachian Stringband Festival there at the beginning of August, we shared Mac's original song, "Send It Up," at the new song showcase, Mac competed in the old time banjo contest, and with the help of our guitarist friend, Peter from New Zealand, we competed in the traditional band contest, performing an old-time duet "Don't Say Goodbye If You Love Me." We enjoyed spending time with our friends, learning some "new" old songs, and meeting new old time musicians.

We were fortunate to have been invited to a community party in western Ohio. We shared the stage with accomplished performers Ray Bolden and also the Rum River Blend band. We did some jamming with several talented musicians and singers Friday evening and after the show on Saturday night. This is the type of spirit lifting and community connection which music provides that is so fulfilling. Our thanks to the planners of the event for including us, and thanks to all the participants for an uplifting weekend.

A great few days were spent in Tennessee July 11-15. On July 12, we played music at Alewine Pottery in Gatlinburg (www.alewinepottery.net). We were there to give Jerry and Joanie Paul (Lost Mill Band) a day off. They are fine musicians who perform there every day from 11-4 and they call themselves "Lost Mill" (check out www.lostmill.com). Owner Robert Alewine happily provides the entertainment for the visiting tourists as well as free popcorn and coffee, graciously attended to by Tom, official "ambassador" to visitors. The setting is beautiful, the pottery is outstanding and the music and fellowship is great fun. If you're in Gatlinburg, stop at Alewine Pottery in the arts and crafts community and tell 'em Annie & Mac sent you! We hope to play there again in the fall.

From Gatlinburg, we went to Murfreesboro for the Uncle Dave Macon Days Festival. There you can find a great array of talent and all types of competitions, jamming, and performances. Jesse McReynolds received the Heritage Award and performed Saturday night--they don't call him "Mr. Mandolin" for nothing. We were honored to receive third place in the old time singing competition and Mac won second place in the Uncle Dave Free Wheeling competition. See you again next year at the Uncle Dave Macon Days!

The festival was held at the Caesar's Creek Lake State Park Beach this year and a good time was had by all. This was another great musical reunion with friends, family, musicians, and music lovers. Mac won second place in the banjo contest and gave a clawhammer workshop on Saturday. We performed on stage Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Thank you to John & Gwen Noftsger for running the event and for all the volunteers who make it happen. We look forward to seeing you all there again next year.

What a great festival this was on June 14-17 in Buena Vista, VA. We saw old friends, made new ones, and had a wonderful time. Mac's efforts paid off with second place in the clawhammer banjo contest. Also, a big thank you to George Gavaza (fiddle) and Terry Stunkle (bass) for joining us as an old time band in the competition. We didn't win anything, but we had a great time. Hope to see you next year at this festival!

We will be playing at some special local events this summer and we hope you will come out to see our shows. On July 7, we will play from 5-8 pm at the JV's Restaurant in Falls Church, VA. On August 24 at 6:30 p.m. we will play at the Berryville (VA) Music in the Park Series. On Aug. 30, we will be part of the line up at the Old Time Fiddle/Bluegrass Concert at Ossian Hall Park in Annandale, VA (7:00 p.m.) On Sept. 23, we will play at the Edinburg Old Time Festival (time TBA). Also, if you happen to be near Waynesville, Ohio, the weekend of June 22-24, we are playing there at the Appalachian Mountain Music Festival. Check our web page calendar for all specifics. Hope to see you at some of our shows.

We're busy making plans to attend our favorite music festivals and competitions this summer including:
*Westminster, MD, Fiddler's Convention, June 10
*Maury River Fiddler's Convention, June 14-17
*Appalachian Mountain Music Festival at Caesar Creek State Park Beach, June 22-24
*Uncle Dave Macon Days, Murfreesboro, TN, July 13-15
*Clifftop, WV, Aug. 2-5
*JP Fraley Festival, Carter Caves, KY, Sep. 6-9
*Virginia State Fair, Sep. 29-30 & Oct. 6 & 7
*Fall Homecoming, Norris, TN, Oct. 11-14
*Rehoboth, DE, Fiddler's Convention, Oct. 27

We are happy to be working on our second CD. George Hodgkiss is recording it for us at his Phoenix Productions in Browntown, Virginia. So, keep watching this space...

We really enjoyed attending Cabin Fever in Hampton, VA on March 2-4. It is an indoor gathering of musicians for jamming, stage shows, workshops, and fun. Although it's mainly bluegrass, we managed to find a few pockets of old time music too. We enjoyed fine stage shows by Hickory Ridge, Brush Arbor, and Leon Morris and his band. We also spent time jamming with our friends and new acquaintances too. We played with experienced musicians in their '80s and budding musicians in their teens. We are happy to see the music continue through the generations and we are glad to be a link in the chain. If you want to attend Cabin Fever next year, get your reservations early, it's a popular and well attended event.

We braved the rainy weather in Richmond, VA, so Mac could compete in the harmonica contest. It paid off, because Mac placed second in the diatonic category, and won first place in the chromatic category. The Richmond NPR radio station ran a piece about the contest on Morning Edition.

We really enjoyed attending the Fraley Festival at Carter Caves State Park in Kentucky at the beginning of September. We met some old friends and made some new ones too.

At the Appalachian Stringband Music Festival in Clifftop, West Virginia, Annie & Mac performed Mac's original song, "Heaven's Gate" at the songwriter's showcase.

At the Uncle Dave Macon Festival in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Mac won third place in the Freewheeling Banjo category and third place in the harmonica contest.

At Caesar's Creek Old Time Music Festival in Waynesville, Ohio, Mac took third place in the banjo contest and had a good turnout in the clawhammer banjo workshop that he presented. During the weekend, Annie & Mac gave four stage performances.