Bluegrass Showcase (2016)

Elements of the Festival

Heritage Focus • Performers • Showcase Winners • Masters of Ceremonies • Honorees • Sponsors • Crafts Market • Folk Marketplace • Schedules • Festival Map • Program Book • Festival Committee • Heritage Area • Food Vendors

Heritage Focus

A Brief History of Bluegrass

Bluegrass music originated with the first English, Irish, and Scottish immigrants in America. As these settlers moved into the Appalachian region of the United States—which extends from the southernmost part of New York to the northern halves of Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia—they brought the music of their homelands with them. The Irish jigs and reels, and English and Scottish ballads, were infused with African American blues and ragtime. The fiddle was joined by the African-born banjo and the lyrics developed to reflect the rigors of working life in that region.

The recognition of bluegrass as a genre separate from country music did not come until the 1940s, and many of the musicians credited with the creation of bluegrass music did not come from Appalachia at all. The term actually originated with Bill Monroe—often called the “Father of Bluegrass”—whose band was named the “Blue Grass Boys” after the grazing grass that grew throughout his home state of Kentucky. Monroe took the old-time music of Appalachia, which often featured only the fiddle and banjo, and added mandolin, guitar, and standing bass.

Each of these instruments took turns being featured in the “breakdowns” that are so typical of the bluegrass style today. Monroe’s tenor voice allowed for a much higher range of vocal melodies than was typical in traditional folk songs, and indeed this “high, lonesome sound” came to be a key characteristic of bluegrass music.

When Earl Scruggs joined the band in 1945, he used a three-finger plucking style to play his banjo. For several years, these differences were all just elements of the Blue Grass Boys’ personal sound, and it was not until others started to adopt and spread this style that bluegrass truly came into its own.

In 1948, Scruggs and fellow band member Lester Flatt broke off to form their own band, the Foggy Band Boys. They are famed for not only helping bring bluegrass music into the mainstream through radio and television, but also for introducing the Dobro, a type of guitar with a single resonator cone, into bluegrass music.

Following the fame of Monroe, Scruggs, and Lester, and many others responsible for popularizing bluegrass music in the late 1940s, the early 1950s saw a rise in a new music genre—rock and roll—which quickly quelled much of the public interest in bluegrass. Bluegrass groups continued to play their music for niche audiences, but it wasn’t until the 1960s, the peak of the folk music revival, that bluegrass really made a comeback and achieved nationwide popularity.

As some of the nation’s most famous folk festivals were founded, so were the first bluegrass festivals, where artists like Monroe and Scruggs were joined by a new generation of bluegrass musicians. The genre stayed alive by incorporating new sounds and recording equipment into traditional ones—by reaching out to new audiences and finding its way into popular movie soundtracks. Famous country music artists recorded bluegrass albums, and bluegrass and folk festivals continued to remain popular and invite new acts. Bluegrass is now not only recognized as its own genre, but one that can sustain itself and continue to reach new audiences year after year.

Performers

SPOOK HANDY
Spook Handy performed alongside Pete Seeger at festivals and concerts more than 50 times from 2003 – 2013. He learned firsthand many of Pete’s songs and the stories behind them. Now, Spook is on a three year “Remembering Pete Seeger” World Tour bringing these songs and stories and Pete’s message to all 50 U.S states, all 11 Canadian provinces, and many other countries (as well as all 21 New Jersey counties). He can be heard at theaters, arts centers, libraries, universities, churches and anywhere else people gather to celebrate Pete’s life and legacy. His new CD “Pete, Woody and Me – Volume I” is due out by Spring 2016. Spook was named Best Folk Artist by Upstage Magazine, Gannett New Jersey, The Courier News, The Home News and About.com. He has written for theater and film and his original songs have charted as high as #6 on the International Folk Radio Charts. Spook is regarded as one of New Jersey’s torch carriers for folk music and singer/songwriter traditions.

ROGER DEITZ
Sing Out! magazine columnist Roger Deitz is a notable figure on the folk scene. For more than 40 years, Deitz contributed a wealth of columns, feature stories, and reviews to Frets, Acoustic Guitar, Fast Folk, Billboard, and Sing Out! among others.
Roger’s humor column “RagTag” has graced the last page of Sing Out! magazine since 1995, collected into the book 15 Years of RagTag illustrated by Ed Courrier. Deitz is the primary author of the section on “New Jersey and Popular Music” for the Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World.  He is the author of The Folk Music Chronicles, a book of essays, articles, and short stories.  Roger serves on the Sing Out! advisory board and is a founding member of Folk Alliance International.  He was program director of New Jersey’s Closing Circle Coffeehouse, June Days Folk Festival, and the Folk Project’s special concert series.
A regular guest on Happy and Artie Traum’s Bring it on Home public radio program, Deitz has hosted and performed at musical venues of all sizes, including many main stage appearances at The Philadelphia Folk Festival. Roger is a recipient of the 2012 New Jersey Folk Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and has been tagged “A National Treasure” by such diverse admirers as radio host and blogger Ron Olesko and former Frets editor Jim Hatlo.

DAN O’DEA AND EAGLE RIDGE
The New Jersey based trio Dan O’Dea & Eagle Ridge successfully takes a minimalist approach to Bluegrass, Irish, and other folk music styles. The band is presently anchored by Nick Conte on guitar and vocals, Austin Alfano on string bass, and Dan O’Dea on mandolin, fiddle and vocals. Lightweight and flexible, Eagle Ridge’s small-group format allows for exciting instrumental work, with O’Dea and Conte often rearranging solos and arrangements mid-performance, spontaneously driving into new musical directions over Alfano’s rhythmic slap-bass style. Since inception, the group has performed at TEDx Jersey City and opened for Jeff Austin (Yonder Mountain String Band), as well as performing at the 40th Annual New Jersey Folk Festival in 2014, and running the weekly Jersey City Bluegrass Jam since July 2014. Eagle Ridge is currently recording their sophomore release, due out later this spring.

AUBREY GRANT
Currently Based in Nashville TN, Aubrey Grant is a southern boy through and through. He was born in Atlanta GA but did most of his growing up in Blacksburg VA. Whether in church or at school, Aubrey was constantly surrounded by music growing up. He quickly developed a passion for singing, as well as playing guitar and piano. This love for creativity and self expression eventually lead him to Philadelphia where he earned a B.F.A. in Musical Theater from The University of the Arts. Shortly after graduating, Aubrey moved to NYC to pursue theater and music. After scouring the globe for a new home base, Aubrey now proudly ‘Hangs his hat in Tennessee.’

PETE MCDONOUGH
Pete McDonough, of Pennington, NJ, has been studying performing and writing about country, piedmont, delta and other forms of acoustic blues for more than 40 years. He has appeared with and opened for Woody Mann, Roy Book Binder, Honeyboy Edwards, Odetta, John Hartford, and a host of other artists at Café Lena, Godfrey Daniels, and the legendary On Patriots Stage series as well as other Northeastern venues. In terms of recent projects, Mr. McDonough contributed to the production of Harlem Street Singer, an award winning documentary film about the life and music of Reverend Gary Davis. He also prepared biographies of two-dozen masters of acoustic blues for music reader The Complete Acoustic Blues Method by Woody Mann. His first appearance at the New Jersey Folk Festival was in 2015.

CHINESE DANCE PERFORMANCE I
A showcase of traditional Chinese dance assembled from three excellent New Jersey-based schools. First, we present “Dai Girls at the Waterside” by the Berwin Art Education Center. In this performance, the soft sound of the Hulusi draws the Dai girls’ sincere feeling of love. Following running water and waving water weeds and fish, it transforms into an elegant and romantic picture. Second, there is the “Korean Dance,” also presented by Berwin. Also called “Song of Castanets,” it reflects the farming tradition of the talented Korean ethnic group in Northern China. The girls in the dance move with the joyful music. Third will be the “YiZu Dance of Colorful Clouds” by the talented Lucy Gao of the Fidelity Chinese School. The YI girls unfold this beautiful Rainbow Cloud dance to represent their colorful life just like the Rainbow with miracles. The wings represent colorful clouds and canary wings.
Fourth will be the “Tibetan Dance of Snow Beauty” by the Ma Yong Performing Art Group. Here the Tibetan dance explains the life of the girls who conquered the snow mountain, and it exemplifies the passion and spirituality of the Tibetan residents. Fifth will be the spectacular “Long Sleeve Dance” by the talented Melanie Zang of the Fidelity Chinese School. The Long Sleeve Dance was originally developed as a way for royalty, nobles, and officials to celebrate grand occasions. Young women wearing dresses with long, elegant sleeves would dance to imitate the movement of fairies and the ripples of water and air. Finally, we present the “Qing Dynasty Dance” by the Ma Yong Performing Arts Group. The Qing Dynasty was founded by the Jurchen Aisin Gioro clan in Manchuria. In the late sixteenth century, the dance of Qing Dynasty shows the beauty of the Emperor and his Empress through rich costumes and cultures.

CHINESE DANCE PERFORMANCE II
A showcase of traditional Chinese dance presented by Huaxia Chinese School, located in Marlboro, New Jersey, a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching Chinese language and promoting Chinese culture. The first dance the troupe will be performing is titled “Lift Your Veil,” a dance of the Uygur people, a minority group living in the northwest of China and Uyghur people have been famous for their vibrant music and passionate dancing with a long history. This dance depicts a group of young Uyghur girls dancing under the sky, with full enthusiasm and joy, just like flowers blossoming on a sunny spring day. Performers presenting this dance are Julia Huang, Karen Yang, Kathy Yang, Jessica Ren, Celina Zhan, Sara Hu, Beth He, Rebecca Zou, Aleena Zhang, Amy Xu, Carolyn Gu, and Karen Wang. The second dance is titled “Rainy Alley.” According to an old poem, the dance describes a situation of misty rain along with the foggy wind that covered the little town in the south of the Yangtze River. Deep in the raining alley came the melodious sound of wood and string. Under the elegant hand crafted umbrellas, a group of graceful young ladies in traditional HAN dress danced in between the houses of the white walls and green tiles. This dance will be performed by Xiaoping Wu, Donghui Zhao, Ying Qin, Ellen Wei Xu, Haiying Yao, Helen Yang, and Shannon Huang.
A showcase of traditional Chinese dance presented by Huaxia Chinese School, located in Marlboro, New Jersey, a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching Chinese language and promoting Chinese culture. The first dance the troupe will be performing is titled “Lift Your Veil,” a dance of the Uygur people, a minority group living in the northwest of China and Uyghur people have been famous for their vibrant music and passionate dancing with a long history. This dance depicts a group of young Uyghur girls dancing under the sky, with full enthusiasm and joy, just like flowers blossoming on a sunny spring day. Performers presenting this dance are Julia Huang, Karen Yang, Kathy Yang, Jessica Ren, Celina Zhan, Sara Hu, Beth He, Rebecca Zou, Aleena Zhang, Amy Xu, Carolyn Gu, and Karen Wang. The second dance is titled “Rainy Alley.” According to an old poem, the dance describes a situation of misty rain along with the foggy wind that covered the little town in the south of the Yangtze River. Deep in the raining alley came the melodious sound of wood and string. Under the elegant hand crafted umbrellas, a group of graceful young ladies in traditional HAN dress danced in between the houses of the white walls and green tiles. This dance will be performed by Xiaoping Wu, Donghui Zhao, Ying Qin, Ellen Wei Xu, Haiying Yao, Helen Yang, and Shannon Huang.

MAVROTHI KONTANIS
Megan Gould, Seido Salifoski, Mavrothi Kontanis
MEGAN GOULD: Megan works as a freelance vioinist in NYC, playing Greek, Arabic, indie-rock, classical and other world music. Her recorded work has appeared on feature and independent films, commercials, and albums of many types, and she has often performed on stage in New York and elsewhere around the world. In addition to performing, she composes string arrangements, creates sheet music charts and makes original CD cover art and layouts.
SEIDO SALIFOSKI: Seido has played darbuka/dumbek in Balkan and Middle Eastern style for over 30 years. With his extensive experience playing Turkish, Greek, Balkan, and Middle Eastern percussion combined with flare of jazz from studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston, his unique virtuosity has set him apart from the pack worldwide.
MAVROTHI KONTANIS: Mavrothi Kontanis is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer, and teacher born and raised in the US, but with roots in Halkidiki, Greece. Mavrothi’s main instrument is the oud, and he has studied and performed with many of the world’s top players. His passion for performing is matched by his love of teaching and composing music. By keeping an open mind while drawing from diverse experiences as both a Greek and an American, Mavrothi creates music that is both Eastern and Western, old and new.

THE RIVER DRIVERS
The River Drivers is an acoustic band from Bucks County, Pennsylvania that has cultivated a passion-infused style drawing from Celtic, Americana and Mountain influences. The band includes Kevin McCloskey (vocals, guitar, mandolin, banjo), Mindy Murray (vocals, guitar, banjo, dulcimer), Marian Moran (tin whistle, low whistle, concertina) and Meagan Ratini (fiddle, Irish flute, tin whistle). Their high energy music with its themes of social justice and hard-working men and women can be heard at festivals throughout the US and Ireland. Their self-titled debut album has garnered great reviews from major international Celtic and folk music journals including No Depression, fRoots and Irish Music Magazine and is now being played on radio stations from coast to coast and in Europe and Ireland as well.

THE NEXT GENERATION OF TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC
Since 1998, three Philadelphia-area based Irish music teachers, Chris Brennan-Hagy, Dennis Gormley and Kathy DeAngelo, have led young Delaware Valley musicians in the celebration and practice of Irish folk music. Meeting once a month during the school year, the group gathers at the Irish Center of Philadelphia to learn new tunes and enjoy an Irish seisiún. At today’s Folk Festival, Next Generation presents a cross-section performance of fiddlers, harpers, and flute and tin whistle players to showcase the traditional reels, jigs and hornpipes of Ireland. Highlighting their talents at various venues, Next Generation has performed at the annual Irish-American Children’s Festival at the Garden State Discovery Museum, the Comhaltas Ceoltoíri Éirheann convention, the Mid-Atlantic Fleadh Cheoil and even represented United Stated in the All-Ireland.

LENNI LENAPE POW WOW
Led by Pastor John Norwood
The Pastor J.R. Norwood, PhD, has served in pastoral ministry for over thirty years and presently presides as the Senior Pastor for the Ujima Village Christian Church in Ewing. For the last decade, he has acted as tribal leader for the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation as well as holding the senior-most role of Principal Justice for the Tribal Supreme Court. He is also a delegate to the National Congress of American Indians. Passionate about the preservation and perpetuation of his tribal nation’s cultural heritage and rights, Dr. Norwood also works as the Government Liaison for the Confederation of Sovereign Nanticoke-Lenape Tribes and the General Secretary of the Alliance of Colonial Era Tribes.
In addition, Dr. Norwood holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from Howard University, a Master of Divinity Degree with a concentration in Church and Society from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Missiology from North-West University. Beyond leadership roles, he is a gifted cultural educator and craftsman.

TONY TRISCHKA & SKYLINE
Tony Trischka & Skyline was formed 1980 with the simple intention of gathering old friends to play music. What began as a casual gig vehicle initiated a nine-year adventure, leading the group all over the United States, Japan and Europe. The group has delivered their music to the masses through national radio broadcasts like Prairie Home Companion and produced four critically acclaimed albums for Flying Fish Records.
Individually versatile and collectively star studded, talents include Larry Cohen on bass, Barry Mitterhoff on mandolin, Kenny Kosek on fiddle, Tony Trischka on banjo and Danny Weiss on vocals and guitar. Trampling borders and fusing jazz, rock, folk and classical styles from a strong bluegrass point of view, Skyline continuously perfects its trade, creating fresh new sounds while maintaining their own tradition.

ANNALEIGH JEE AE POTTERTON
Annaleigh Jee Ae Potterton is a South Korean adoptee and a senior at Marlboro High School in New Jersey. She has been studying Korean traditional dance and music at the Korean Performing Arts Center in New York for eight years under Sue Yeon Park, one of the foremost Korean artists in the United States today. Annaleigh also has studied haegum, a Korean traditional string instrument, with Han Hee Jung for over five years. She has performed at various venues throughout the greater New York area with the dance troupe “Sounds of Korea”, including Lincoln Center, Symphony Space on Broadway, Central Park, and Flushing Town Hall. In addition, she most recently performed at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst for the 40th anniversary of the Fine Arts Center and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in celebration of the Lunar New Year. She also performed Salmunori and haegum at the National Gugak Center for Performing Arts at Namdo, South Korea. Jindo Buk Ch’um is a dance that Annaleigh was privileged to learn this past summer at Jindo, South Korea, from Chae Yoon Mi, a master of the dance. She is honored to perform this dance at the New Jersey Folk Festival.

DARK CITY STRINGS
Dark City Strings was formed in 2012 on the shores of historic Asbury Park, NJ. The band delivers it’s signature brand of high-energy bluegrass by drawing from a broad spectrum of influences. Known for their live shows, the band has built a dedicated following. In 2015, they released their debut album Fast, True, & Free. The album features ten original songs showcasing their unique sound and storyteller lyrics. The members of Dark City Strings are: Joe Lucarelli on Bass; Evan Fitzgerald on Fiddle; Eric Daneman on Guitar/Vox; Michael Byrnes on Mandolin/Vox; and Andrew Duch on Banjo

DAN GODBEY
Dan Godbey, a Vietnam-era veteran, is a singer-songwriter ad a talented guitar player. For many years, Dan Godbey was known as an excellent guitar player and great sideman. He was talented and versatile. He had the right sound at the right time with the right look and vibe for the gig. He learned to play with feel, always supporting the lead musician, never stealing the show. But recently, he has emerged as his own artist with five CDs to his credit. Many of his recent songs are set in Millville, which once known as a depressed area with abandoned factories. But recently, Millville developed an arts district, with galleries, studios, and live music. The New Jersey Folk Festival is pleased to present this emerging artist to a wider audience on our Pinelands Stage.

HEIDI OLSEN
Heidi Olsen has long been involved in the bluegrass scene in the Central New Jersey area, playing banjo with her band “Heidi Olsen and The Night”, and hosting the “Bluegrass Jam” radio program for 12 years. Heidi’s mission in life is to pass on her love of bluegrass by encouraging others to sing and play together. To that end she started a workshop ten years ago which has introduced many students to the joys of jamming. Students praise Heidi’s patient teaching style and her ability to get everyone jamming in a non-threatening environment.

BRADY WEGNER
Brady Wegner is the Klass Klowne. He is a circus arts performer from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, whose act is a spectacularly stupefying show that is sure to dazzle and delight. A show based on balancing, juggling, and fire, his goal is to spread happiness and joy to the world one city at a time! He travels the country doing shows and having fun!

Showcase Winners

DENNIS KING
From post-punk beginnings to melancholy daydreams, New Jersey based singer/songwriter Dennis King AKA Son of Dov (pronounced like dove) first discovered music on his family’s out of tune piano, pounding out dramatic overtures with no rhyme or reason. King taught himself out of necessity and emotion, the latter being the driving pendulum, which is still present in his music today. King became a veteran of rock and punk in his mid-twenties, touring along the East Coast until walking away from it to help raise a family. Thankfully, the urgency never left him and he continued to write and record, but held onto his recordings until 2012, where it took a natural disaster, Hurricane Sandy, to begin anew.
His first two offering, “Gone to Seed EP”, released in spring 2013 and “Spartan and Free EP” released summer 2014 were available in CD format but have since sold out. Songs can still be downloaded via Bandcamp. In 2012, Dennis placed his song, “Oh the Little Light”, in the award winning independent film, “Coyote” directed by Joe Eddy. In addition, his first self released EP, “Gone to Seed”, was selected by the popular PBS show “Road Trip Nation” as a featured musician and placed the full EP on the 2014 season. His most recent song placement, “Spartan and Free,” is featured on the soundtrack for the short film “Wander” produced by Lowkey Films (2015) and is available on iTunes and Amazon.

RACHEL MARIE
A cunning wordsmith, and precociously sophisticated. Clear and mature vocal production colors songs that are relevant, relatable, and far-reaching. The social awareness of folk meets the introspection of the singer-songwriter tradition with a moderate dose of snark.
This Bethlehem, PA native has made regular appearances at Musikfest and at the acclaimed folk venue Godfrey Daniels where she has shared the stage with Antje Duvekot. Beyond her hometown, she has made herself known in North Jersey as a member of the Folk Project and continues to expand her musical horizons.

DAWN HIATT
Dawn Hiatt uniquely marries classic Nashville influences directly to chamber pop, with spikes of alt-country, folk-rock and Tin Pan Alley in between. Her classic country tunes are marked by memorable hooks and harmonies, Patsy Cline with a shot of Chet Atkins thrown in, yet the production, rather than being reverential, often suggests Jon Brion’s work with Aimee Mann or Fiona Apple. Her alt-country tunes recall Whiskeytown, while its ebb and tide of grit and kitsch suggest a close kinship with Neko Case and Andrew Bird.
Hiatt has performed more than once at both of Nashville’s famed showcase venues, the Five Spot and the Bluebird Café, as well as both Rockwood Music Hall and Jalopy in New York City. She’s played regularly in Portland (Ore.) and Bloomington (Ind.) and has toured the Midwest and Southeast extensively. Hiatt has been a featured vocalist on recordings by Chris Kasper, Resistor, the Rick Rappaport Project and Johnny Miles. In addition to Goodnight Boots, Hiatt recently released a duet album of hymns with Todd Barneson.
Hiatt has been featured at the Philadelphia Folk Festival and on the prestigious Bluebird Stage on the Country Throwdown Tour (Virginia.). Her many festival appearances include the Hudson Valley Songfest and Montauk (both N.Y.); Midpoint and Paper City (both Ohio); Black Potatoe (N.J.); and the Kimmel Center Summer Solstice and Bethlehem MusikFest (both Pa.). She has opened for top acts Joan Baez (Kimmel Center), Cory Chisel (Eagleview) and 10,000 Maniacs (Sellersville), while consistently selling out the region’s top listening rooms as a headliner.

BOB WRIGHT
A native of Staten Island, New York Bob has been playing music since childhood. He is a multi-instrumentalist steeped in the American musical roots traditions often referred to as Americana. A long time member of the Risky Business Bluegrass Band and his own group, Harbortown, Bob often branches out to perform solo or in diverse, acoustic, musical settings following a restless creative urge. He has been an awardee in all of the grant categories for the Council on the Arts and Humanities for Staten Island (COAHSI). These grants are underwritten by both New York City and New York State. He has been awarded a Premier grant, several Encore grants, a Junefest performance, and an Original Works grants in 2004 to write and produce a CD of songs about Staten Island. The resulting CD Harbortown is available and has garnished excellent reviews. Several of those songs have become favorites with singers in the UK and Ireland. The group ‘Harbortown’ was formed in direct response to the collaborative efforts that went into producing the CD.
In 2013, after over a years worth of research and work, he was instrumental in having a plaque placed by the front door of the Noble Maritime Collection commemorating the work of noted maritime song collector William Main Doerflinger. Many of the songs were collected, in that very building, from the retired sailors of the former Sailors Snug Harbor and many of them were sung at a dedication concert that featured both Frank Woerner and Hughie Jones, amongst others.
His CD, Hamburger Sandwich, was on the American Folk Charts for the month of August, 2014. Bob is a proud member of the North American Traveling Musicians Union, Local 1000, and can usually be found the third Sunday of every month at the Shanty session in the Noble Maritime Collection on the grounds of Snug Harbor and the first Sunday of the month at the Irish Sesiun at the Flagship Brewery.

LISA BRIGANTINO
Award-winning singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Lisa Brigantino is an engaging performer whose eclectic approach to songwriting spans groove, genre and topic. A trained composer with a Master of Music in music composition and music theory from SUNY Fredonia, Lisa also composes music for TV, film, theatre, dance and more.
Lisa performs regularly at a variety of venues – often with her sister, Lori – and has appeared at a number of music festivals including The Florida Music Festival, Maplewoodstock, The Rockland-Bergen Music Festival, The Pleasantville Music Festival, The Black Potatoe Festival, The East End GreenFest. In addition to her own performances, Lisa performs with her sister Lori in “The Vickie & Nickie Show a wacky, self-contained theatrical musical/comedy act where the real life sisters portray Vickie & Nickie – the multi-instrumental, singing housewife sister duo straight from the hills of Northern Minnesota. Lisa Brigantino is proud to be a Kurzweil Endorsed Artist.She is a member of SESAC, The Songwriters Guild of America, New York Women in Film and Television, a voting member of NARAS (Grammys) and serves on the Advisory Board of Women In Music, Inc.

MCCREARY & LANE
McCreary may be a teenager, however she already has a multitude of experience and an array of awards to show for it. She was shortlisted for an American Songwriting award in the Teen category and she has also won many gold and silver Scholastic awards for her writing. She is a wonderful wordsmith with a passion for poetic language, which shines through in her lyrics. Lane started the piano at 14, when she taught herself Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. From there she was accepted to a performing arts college where she developed and enhanced her skills, often performing solos. Since the age of 16 she has been in studios recording backing vocals for various bands & artists. Lane plays the piano and guitar (both self taught). Lane has also toured and performed at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, as well as other prestigious colleges, as part of a chamber choir – performing solo and lead vocals.
McCreary and Lane were both accepted to NYU Tisch Songwriting Workshop, where they began collaborating and were then selected to record their songs by Maia Sharp, Phil Galdston, Barry Eastmond, and Billy Seidman. Since then they’ve performed at various open mics in Britain and New York, interviewed and performed on BBC Leeds Radio Live in the UK, and gigged at the prestigious Bitter End in NYC where they now have a residency. On’t Sofa has also selected them to record a live lounge session in London and this summer they will be playing at UK Festivals such as Bakewell Festival, Glaston Bury Bury, shortlisted for Pandora Fest, and more.

Masters of Ceremonies

UPDATED INFORMATION COMING SOON.

Honorees

HONORARY DIRECTOR
Ameurfina Hidalgo Nazario
Ameurfina Hidalgo Nazario was born in the Philippines and immigrated to the U.S. in 1970. Making New Jersey her home, she worked to obtain her MBA, married and raised a family. To stay connected to the arts and culture of her home country, she taught her children folk dancing. With her sisters in 1991, Ms. Nazario co-founded Alay Philippine Performing Arts, a non-profit fostering the awareness and appreciation of Philippine traditional arts. At present, she serves as President of the organization. Further devoted to the folk arts, Ms. N also serves as the President of the New Jersey Folklore Society and is an Honorary Trustee of Wheaton Arts.
Ms. Nazario is a master artist in baybayin, the pre-Hispanic writing system of the Phillippines. Samples of her calligraphy were featured in the New Jersey State Museum’s 2008 exhibit “Culture in Context: A Tapestry of Expression”. In 2013, Ms. Nazario created the Felix Family Rondalla in honor of her mother, Felixberta de Guzman Hidalgo with family members performing on various instruments. A rondalla is a musical ensemble of 14-stringed Phillippine lutes, guitars and basses.

HONORARY CHAIRMAN
Ercan Tozan
Ercan Tozan is the Executive Director of Peace Islands Institute (PII) in New Jersey since 2012. He joined PII as the regional director in Rochester, NY in 2011. He has been the key initiator for creating various connections in NY and NJ with politicians, academics, clergy and many community leaders. Before joining PII, Ercan took his part in education in various states including Connecticut, NY and NJ, as well as countries like Turkmenistan and Argentina. He graduated from Marmara University, Turkey with a BS in Chemistry in 1995. This diverse background motivated him to take a leap from education to a dialogue institution. He took a leadership role to help Hurricane Sandy victims, organized over 100 volunteers, and collaborated with other PII branches to take part. Ercan is currently working to reach out to minorities within NJ and bringing them together to provide solution to NJ issues.
He is also organizing a conference about cyberbullying in collaboration with Rutgers University to shed light on this big challenge in today’s education. He has various other projects to increase awareness of peace and dialogue in community starting as early as middle school like art and essay contest. Ercan currently lives in Elmwood Park, NJ with his wife, Esra and 2 kids, Suheyla, 12 years old, and Tarik, 9.

GRAND MARSHAL
Pastor John Norwood
The Reverend Pastor J.R. Norwood, PhD, has served in pastoral ministry for over thirty years and presently presides as the Senior Pastor for the Ujima Village Christian Church in Ewing. For the last decade, he has acted as tribal leader for the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation as well as holding the senior-most role of Principal Justice for the Tribal Supreme Court. He is also a delegate to the National Congress of American Indians. Passionate about the preservation and perpetuation of his tribal nation’s cultural heritage and rights, Dr. Norwood also works as the Government Liaison for the Confederation of Sovereign Nanticoke-Lenape Tribes and the General Secretary of the Alliance of Colonial Era Tribes.
In addition, Dr. Norwood holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from Howard University, a Master of Divinity Degree with a concentration in Church and Society from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Missiology from North-West University. Beyond leadership roles, he is a gifted cultural educator and craftsman.

DEPUTY GRAND MARSHAL
Dianne I. Gravatt
Dianne Gravatt has been employed at Rutgers University for 24 years. She began her career with Rutgers Newark Physical Plant in 1992. In 1996 Dianne accepted a promotion and became Director of Facilities for Cook/Douglass Campus. She is a recipient of the Douglass Medal. Currently serving as the Assistant Vice President of University Facilities Operations statewide for Rutgers the State University, Dianne’s is responsible for over 24,000 square feet of building space, over 800 acres of maintainable grounds, 80 miles of hardscape, 1,400 employees. Dianne is a graduate of the College of NJ and holds degrees in Education and Criminal Justice. Prior to working at Rutgers University, Dianne was a tenured teacher at Bordentown Regional High School. Dianne also held facilities positions at Saint Peters Medical Center in New Brunswick and Cathedral Healthcare Facilities in Newark.

HONORARY GRAND MARSHAL
Joseph Charette
Joe Charette is the Executive Director of Rutgers Dining Services, where he has spent the last 27 of his food service career. After gaining some valuable experience in some of the finer restaurants in Washington D.C.’s Georgetown area in the late 70’s, Joe wrote the menus and wine lists for several privately owned upscale restaurants in Colorado. He later opened some casual-themed restaurants for a Denver based professional athlete, before spending spent 6 years with S&A Restaurant Corporation, where he opened and managed restaurants in New Mexico, Arizona, and New Jersey in the 80’s. Joe has been married to his wife Deborah for 35 years and has two sons, Joseph and Anthony.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Barry Mitterhoff
Born in Newark and raised in Irvington & Springfield, Barry Mitterhoff developed a love for music very early on. As a teenager, he began to study with mandolinist-extraordinaire & family friend, Bob Applebaum, and credits him with first exposing him to bluegrass music and sparking his lifelong dedication to the mandolin. Mitterhoff first began performing bluegrass in high school with his good friend Dan Weiss, whom he later played with in several bands, and still plays with today.
During his college years, Mitterhoff studied with jazz guitarist Ted Dunbar as well as jazz mandolin pioneers, Jethro Burns & Tiny Moore and also with classical mandolinist, Edward Bearman. Before graduating from Livingston College at Rutgers University, Mitterhoff was invited to join his first full-time bluegrass band, Bottle Hill. After graduation and with the break-up of Bottle Hill, Barry spent 3 years with the all-star group, Peter Rowan, Tex Logan & the Green Grass Gringos (which also featured Lamar & David Greer) playing some of New Jersey’s biggest festivals at Waterloo Village & Great Gorge. Tex Logan, of Madison, NJ, would become Mitterhoff’s close friend and mentor for many years until his death in 2015.

The 1980’s brought the creation of Tony Trischka & Skyline, a band initially formed to do school assembly programs about bluegrass who went on to record 4 albums while touring the states as well as playing overseas in Europe and Asia. Barry’s band, Silk City formed in the early 1990’s with guitarist and vocalist, Dan Weiss and bassist, Larry Cohen. Trischka, Weiss & Cohen are performing with Mitterhoff at this year’s NJ Folk Festival as well as Joe Selly & Kenny Kosek. He is thrilled to be receiving this honor from the New Jersey Folk Festival.

Sponsors

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Crafts Market

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Folk Marketplace

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Schedules

Skylands Stage
Stage Manager: Michael Hyland
Emcees: Brent Johnson & Bert Baron

10:45 to 11:00	Opening Ceremonies   Color Guard and National Anthem
11:00 to 11:30	Roger Deitz   Folk Musician, Writer, Humorist
11:30 to 12:00	Aubrey Grant   Blues, Soul, Rock n’ Roll
12:00 to 12:30	Awards Ceremony   Featuring Lifetime Achievement Award
12:30 to 1:20	Spook Handy   Folk Songs
1:30 to 2:20	Dan O’Dea and Eagle Ridge   Modern Traditional Bluegrass
2:30 to 3:20	Lenni Lenape Pow Wow   NJ Native American Dance and Drumming
3:30 to 4:20	Tony Trischka & Skyline   Progressive Bluegrass
4:30 to 5:05	Mavrothi Kontanis   Oud, Violin, Percussion
5:15 to 6:00	The River Drivers   Irish Folk Song

Pinelands Stage
Stage Manager: Janine Puhak
Emcees: Kathy DeAngelo, Michael Rockland, and Jim Albertson

11:00 to 12:00	Next Generation of Traditional Irish Music   Kathy DeAngelo
12:00 to 12:30	Pete McDonough   A Tour through Acoustic Blues and Birthday Celebration for Rev. Gary Davis
12:30 to 1:00	Roger Dietz   Folk Musician, Writer, Humorist
1:00 to 2:00	Learn to Play Bluegrass   Heidi Olson (BOTMA)
2:00 to 2:30	Fiddle Tunes: Tex Logan & More   Kenny Kosek, Barry Mitterhoff, Joe Selly & Danny Weiss
2:30 to 3:00	Mavrothi Kontanis   Oud, Violin, Percussion
3:00 to 3:30	Dan O’Dea and Eagle Ridge   Modern Traditional Bluegrass
3:30 to 4:00	Spook Handy   Folk Songs
4:00 to 4:30	The River Drivers   Irish Folk Songs
4:30	Dan Godbey   NJ Folk Songs

Shore Stage
Stage Manager: Alex Fuchs
Emcees: Michael Byrnes and Richard Murray

11:00 to 12:00	Bluegrass Jam   Bluegrass and Old Time Music Association of NJ
12:00 to 1:00	Old Time Jam   Stony Brook Friends of Old Time Music
1:00 to 2:00	Irish Seisiun   South Jersey Irish Seisiun
2:00 to 2:30	McCreary & Lane   Resides in New York City, New York
2:30 to 3:00	Bob Wright   Resides in Staten Island, New York
3:00 to 3:30	Rachel Marie   From Bethlehem, PA. Currently resides in Cambridge, Massachusetts
3:30 to 4:00	Dawn Hiatt   From Bridgeton, N.J., Currently resides in Philadelphia, PA
4:00 to 4:30	Son of Dov (Dennis King)   Resides in Mount Olive Township, New Jersey
4:30 to 5:00	Lisa Brigantino   Resides in Brooklyn, New York

Gateway Stage
Stage Manager: Patrick Gibson
Emcees: Andras (Andy) Fekete, Matthew Ferguson, and Qiliang He

10:15 to 11:00	Brady Wegener   Circus Arts Performer
11:00 to 11:30	McCreary & Lane   Resides in New York City, New York
11:30 to 12:00	Bob Wright   Resides in Staten Island, New York
12:00 to 12:30	Rachel Marie   From Bethlehem, PA. Currently resides in Cambridge, Massachusetts
12:30 to 1:00	Dawn Hiatt   From Bridgeton, N.J., Currently resides in Philadelphia, PA
1:00 to 1:30	Son of Dov (Dennis King)   Resides in Mount Olive Township, New Jersey
1:30 to 2:00	Lisa Brigantino Resides in Brooklyn, New York
2:00 to 2:40	Brady Wegener   Circus Arts Performer
2:40 to 3:20	Dark City Strings   Jam Driven Bluegrass
3:20 to 4:00	Brady Wegener   Circus Arts Performer
4:00 to 4:20	Chinese Dance Performances I   Produced and Directed by Xuening Hong
4:20 to 4:40	Chinese Dance Performaces II   Kangning Du
4:40 to 4:50	Annaleigh Jee Ae Potterton   Korean Traditional Dance
4:50 to 5:30	Brady Wegener   Circus Arts Performer

Seminar Tent
This new addition will feature discussions & lectures
Stage Manager: Elisabeth Graham
Facilitator: James Deutsch, Smithsonian Institute

11:30 to 12:00	Traditional Chinese Festivals: Presented by Visiting Professor Qiliang He   Boasting rich cultural meaning and a long history, traditional Chinese Festivals compose an important part of Chinese culture. These include the Spring Festival, the Lantern Festival, Tomb Sweeping Day, the Dragon Boat Festival, and others.
12:00 to 1:00	A Public/Community Partnership: Kalmyk Community Archives at Rutgers Leading the project is Nikolai Burlakoff, Principal Fieldworker. The project intends to survey, catalog, and prepare materials for submission to the Alexander Library Archives. This project is sponsored by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.
1:00 to 2:00	Panel Discussion: University Facilities and Capital Planning   The unit at Rutgers responsible for the repair, maintenance, replacement, support services, design and construction of all University buildings, grounds, and infrastructure. This project was organized by our Pinelands Stage Coordinator, Janine Puhak, as an Aresty Research Assistant.
2:00 to 3:00	Panel Discussion: Rutgers Dining Services One of the largest student dining operations in the country, operating 5 student dining facilities serving over 6.7 million meals and several cash facilities serving over 370,000 meals annually. This project was organized by Ben Levy as an Aresty Research Assistant.
3:00 to 4:00	Panel Discussion: Role of the New Jersey Folklore Society   Fostering the study, promotion, and continuation of folklore and folklife of New Jersey’s diverse cultures through education, advocacy, support, and outreach. Moderator: Ameurfina Nazario, President of the New Jersey Folklore Society.
4:00 to 5:00	Panel Discussion: Lenni Lenape Tribal Preservation   Native peoples have a substantial interest in protecting, accessing, and controlling their cultural resources. These resources include objects, traditions, languages, and symbols. Moderator: Reverend Doctor John Norwood, Nanticoke-Lenape Tribal Nation.

Festival Map

UPDATED INFORMATION COMING SOON.

Program Book

UPDATED INFORMATION COMING SOON.

Festival Committee

• Festival Manager: Lada Abdyshayeva
• Finance Coordinator: Philip “Buzz” Ripperger
• Food Vendor Coordinator: Andrew T. Kopka
• Crafts Coordinator: Amy Clark
• Skylands Stage Coordinator: Michael Hyland
• Shore Stage Coordinator: Alex Fuchs
• Pinelands Stage Coordinator: Janine Puhak
• Gateway Stage Coordinator: Patrick A. Gibson
• Heritage Area Coordinator: Sofia Gharaibeh
• Children’s Activities Coordinator: Megan Goulet

Heritage Area

ALISSA CALDWELL
Alissa Caldwell was born in Newark in 1966, the only child of two childhood sweethearts from a small town in Alabama. A licensed cosmetologist with an Associate’s degree in Fashion Merchandising and Management, Ms. Caldwell is a current student of theology at the Mount Calvary Missionary Church here in New Brunswick. She enjoys working with “many different types and textures of hair of people from all races, creeds and colors,” but especially enjoys doing “ethnic braids, twists, locks, pressing hair, coloring hair, and transitional styles,” among which are many of the styles she will be demonstrating at the Festival.

ELIZABETH BAUMGARDT
Since her retirement from the medical field, Elizabeth Baumgardt has dedicated herself to the traditional west-Norwegian craft of Hardanger embroidery. Currently an instructor for the Culture Sunday Program at Noreg Lodge of Sons of Norway, Ms. Baumgardt “tries to keep alive some of the old crafts in danger of being forgotten” through her classes, and “finds great satisfaction in seeing the Hardanger projects grow and others learning this beautiful craft.” Her work has been displayed at New Jersey’s ScanFest (Scandinavian Fest) for several years, and her designs—most of which are original—have won ribbons in several competitions.

OLGA KOBRYN
Awarded the title of Master Artist of Pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs) in 2003 by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (NJSCA), Olga Kobryn has been practicing this intricate art form since she was a young child. Pysanky, which trace their pagan origins back to 3000 B.C., are an ancient tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation and is kept alive today by artists like Ms. Kobryn. Ms. Kobryn has has held annual pysanky workshops since 1999, sponsored by the Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission at East Jersey Olde Towne Village. She participates in ethnic festivals, presents and conducts pysanky workshops in various venues, and mentored the Ukrainian Easter Egg Club at Woodbridge Middle School, where she taught language arts for almost 25 years.
Currently, Ms. Kobryn is studying the history and learning the skill of traditional Ukrainian Poltava Region embroidery under the tutelage of Master Artist and recognized tradition bearer Helen Dobusz. The New Jersey State Council of the Arts awarded the duo a 2016 Folk Arts Apprenticeship Grant. Ms. Kobryn currently resides in Iselin, NJ, with her beautiful collection of pysanky, embroidery, and her adorable doggie, Rascal.

MARY MAY
Based in Forked River, NJ, Mary May is a specialist in white oak basketry and other basket-making traditions of South Jersey who has been making baskets for over 20 years. Ms. May’s baskets are both strong enough to be used for their historical purposes (carrying berries, fish, eels, etc.) and to be put on display, as they have been at Tuckerton Seaport and the New Jersey State Museum. Ms. May has also demonstrated her craft at New Jersey Forestry Interpretive Center and the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences, as well as on television programs such as Ebru TV’s “Blank Canvas.” In an effort to preserve and promote white oak and other traditional forms of basket-making, Ms. May teaches workshops regularly at the Jersey Shore Folklife Center, where she serves on the advisory board. Her extensive research and mastery of her craft landed her a 2016 Folk Arts Apprenticeship Grant and title of Master Artist of White Oak Basketry from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

STEVE MAGGIPINTO
Steve Maggipinto is a native New Yorker who has been building ship models for over half a century. He currently serves as Secretary of the Ship Model Society of New Jersey. Among his various models, his favorite is a scratch-built replica of SC431, a vessel his dad commanded during World War II, which was displayed in his parents’ living room for nearly 20 years. Steve’s latest venture is small scale modeling, something he considers a “…real challenge for a senior citizen. 1/350 scale takes steady hands and sharp eyes to pull off successfully, but the rewards are worth it.”

DON OTIS
A retired high school teacher and resident of Teaneck, Don Otis has been building model ships for over 50 years. He is an active member of the Ship Model Society of New Jersey and has had his work displayed in maritime museums and libraries statewide. His models have also won awards on several occasions.
Mr. Otis discovered his passion for model ship building after meeting an employee of Model Shipways–a small ship model kit producer in Bogota, NJ–at a bowling alley with his wife Carol. He purchased and built one of their kits, and found the experience to be most enjoyable. Now fifty years and eighty-five models later, model ship building is still one of his best-loved hobbies. He enjoys building both wooden kit models and scratch-built ships, and works in his Caliban’s cave to the accompaniment of Mozart and Haydn.

TOMMY BURKE
Tommy Burke is an oyster farmer presently working with Sloop Point Oyster Company–a collection of shellfish farms specializing in the sustainable production of oysters for consumption. From the time they are planted to the time they head to market, Sloop Point’s oysters are both meticulously cared for by hand and surface-grown–a practice which produces a “clean, well-formed, deep cupped oyster that is gently tumbled by the rolling sea.” With their oyster grounds directly adjacent to wildlife preserves, the company’s oysters are grown in complete harmony with nature in the clean waters of the Barnegat Bay, a body of water once coveted for its abundance of high-quality wild oysters. The wild stocks have been decimated, but Mr. Burke and other oyster farmers are on a mission to revive the tradition of oystering on Barnegat Bay.

ARMANDO SOSA AND LUCIA TAJIBOY
Guatemala native and master weaver Armando Sosa got his start in weaving in Salcaja–a small town in the Guatemalan highlands where 90% of the population once made a living through weaving. Having encountered the necessity to work from a young age, Mr. Sosa was largely informally educated as an artist, and is a practitioner of a craft that was passed down through generations–from his grandfather to his father, and from his father and grandfather to him. By the 1970s, Mr. Sosa began demonstrating his weaving at state fairs along the West Coast. After a 13-year return to his home country, he returned to the U.S. in 1993. Today, he worked at the Highland Studio in Hopewell with his partner Karen McClean. His work has been displayed in numerous collections statewide, including at the Newark Museum and the Princeton Public Library.
According to Mr. Sosa, each tapestry takes over 100 hours to complete, and is usually made from cotton or silk thread. Although Guatemalan weaving is a traditional craft, he innovatively incorporates European, Navajo, Mayan, Chinese and Egyptian designs into his tapestries. Mr. Sosa and his apprentice, Lucia Tajiboy, received a 2016 Folk Arts Apprenticeship Grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Ms. Tajiboy, an accomplished weaver in her own right, will be accompanying Mr. Sosa on festival day.

DANA PERROTTI
Dana Perrotti is a formally-trained metalsmith with a passion for leatherwork. She practices traditional methods of leatherworking, utilizing very sharp knives and specifically-designed hand tools to achieve each step. Through apprenticing with master craftswomen, she learned the art of handsewn shoemaking. A handsewn shoe is made to measure and involves over 40 hours and 200 individual steps to achieve completion.
Dana also is a committed community educator. She is passionate about bring art into the lives of those around her, and she proudly dedicates herself to passing down traditional techniques to new generations.Dilek Demiror

DILEK DEMIRORS
Dilek Demirors is an Ebru (The Turkish Art of Marbling) artist. Ebru is the art of creating colorful patterns by sprinkling and brushing color pigments on a pan of oily water and then transforming this pattern to paper. She took Ebru lessons from famous Ebru artists in Istanbul. She has been working as a professional Ebru artist for 6 years. She joined many festivals and activities. She has several courses and workshops to teach Ebru. Paper marbling, widely practiced in Turkey, is a method of aqueous surface design, which can produce patterns similar to smooth marble or other stone. The patterns are the result of color floated on either plain water or a viscous solution known as size, and then carefully transferred to an absorbent surface, such as paper or fabric.
Through several centuries, people have applied marbled materials to a variety of surfaces. It is often employed as a writing surface for calligraphy, and especially book covers and endpapers in bookbinding and stationery. Part of its appeal is that each print is a unique monotype. There are several methods for making marbled papers. A shallow tray is filled with water, and various kinds of ink or paint colors are carefully applied to the surface with an ink brush. Various additives or surfactant chemicals are used to help float the colors. A drop of “negative” color made of plain water with the addition of surfactant is used to drive the drop of color into a ring. The process is repeated until the surface of the water is covered with concentric rings. The floating colors are then carefully manipulated either by blowing on them directly or through a straw, fanning the colors, or carefully using a human hair to stir the colors. In the 19th century

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