Getting Ready for Camp – Summersongs 2015
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The camp was a success. Penny incorporated SummerSongs as a 501-C3 not-for-profit organization and began holding four camps each year – two on the east coast and two on the west coast. Each location has a SummerSongs as well as a WinterSongs camp. Instructors for each camp are hand-picked to share a variety of skills and points of view. Here on the east coast, the camp is held in the relaxed environs of the Ashokan Center, a campground nestled in the Catksill mountains that is surrounded by pine trees and a small lake and streams. The Ashokan Center is also the site for Ashokan Music & Dance Camps, an organization started in 1981 by Jay Ungar and Molly Mason that began as a camp for traditional music and dance and has extended into a number of different camps as well as concerts and festivals at the idyllic site. Ashokan was also the inspiration for Jay’s composition “Ashokan Farewell” which has gained global recognition after being used as the theme for Ken Burn’s PBS series The Civil War. In addition to SummerSongs and the Ashokan Music & Dance Camps, the Ashokan Center hosts many different events on its 374 acre site, providing inspiration for a variety of groups.
Sharon Goldman and Glen Roethel performing in the studios of WFDU-FM
This year’s camp will mark the 17th edition of Summersongs and it will be a reunion of sorts for campers who return year after year and a new experience for those discovering the program for the first time. Instructors will include camp founder Penny Nichols along with Sloan Wainwright, Freebo, Kate Campbell, David Roth and Glen Roethel. Campers will be treated to classes in songwriting, arranging, performance and stagecraft, harmony singing and an exploration of the creative process. There will also be time for camping pastimes like hiking and swimming and enjoying the camaraderie of like-minded campers.
During my discussion with Chris, Sharon and Glen (you can hear the entire interview by clicking the link at the end of this article), I learned that you do not have to be a songwriter to attend SummerSongs. Each of us has the ability to create a song and share it with the community. SummerSongs helps individuals tap into their creative potential to share a story or idea through song. Established songwriters continue to learn new facets of this art form, and the close community feeling that is created at SummerSongs is a reason so many people coming back year after year.
One individual who was a fixture at SummerSongs was Tom Ryan. Tom may not have been a household name, but he wrote some amazing songs and SummerSongs was certainly an inspiration for him. Part of the Philadelphia music community, Tom was also a clown – he performed for children of all ages as Sparkles the Clown. He was known for his singing, telling stories and jokes and making balloon animals. In 2011, Tom was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, but he did not let it stop him from attending SummerSongs. The following summer, Tom passed away, but he left us with a collection of songs that show his compassion, humor and love of life.
CD cover for “Barn’s Burnt Down (Now I Can See the Moon)”, songs of the late Tom Ryan
His friends got together to record the new CD Barn’s Burnt Dow (Now I Can See the Moon), which is available at www.summersongs.com. The recording features 12 songs performed by Barbara & Graham Dean, Denise Jordan Finley, Fred Arcoleo, Penny Nichols, Anne Hills, Bonnie O’Donnell, Jay Ansill, Janie March, Betty Altman, Sloan Wainwright, David Roth, Tom’s brother Matt Ryan with Reade McCardell and Turner Adams, and Tom’s daughter Shannon Lambert Ryan who is a member of the rising Celtic band Runa. There are also several tribute songs that were recorded and available as MP3 downloads from he website. Proceeds from the sales of the recording will benefit SummerSongs, which I am sure would have greatly pleased Tom.
Songs and their sharing through community is the heart of folk music. A camp like SummerSongs helps shed the mystery of the craft and gives individuals the tools to express themselves through one of the oldest forms of art. The idea isn’t to become a professional songwriter by going to a week of camp, although professionals can and do benefit from the experience. A camper of any skill level, from novice to seasoned pro, will learn something about themselves and their friends and the importance of making music as a participatory experience.
If you cannot make plans to sample Summer Songs East this year, there will be other opportunities. The West Coast edition of SummerSongs has passed for this year, but there are plans for the next year’s WinterSongs and SummerSongs to be held once again at Camp Ocean Pines overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Cambria, CA. A 2016 East Coast edition of WinterSongs as well as next year’s SummerSongs is also in the works at the Ashokan Center, so if you schedule is too tight for 2015, start thinking ahead for next year. Find out more about SummerSongs by visiting their website at www.summersongs.com . I also hope you will enjoy listening to Chris, Sharon and Glen discussing SummerSongs and sharing live music on my show by clicking on the link below.