BILL STAINES CONCERT Saturday, February 6, 2010, 8 pm Hollis Cornell Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall, Cornell Arts Quad

What is it about this graying, bespectacled performer with an odd left-handed guitar technique that fills the hall every time he comes to Ithaca? Perhaps it’s the chance to sing along with gusto on lots of fine choruses. Perhaps it’s his gentle presence and wry good humor. Perhaps his songs engage us with a ring of truth and the warmth of familiarity. Whatever it is, the Cornell Folk Song Society is pleased to welcome again this old friend.

For more than 40 years, Bill Staines has roamed the roads, bringing his memorable, chorus-rich songs to audiences from Alaska to New Hampshire. He sings so convincingly of the West, small towns, and open spaces that one might think he was once a cowboy (he yodels) rather than an old New Englander. His originals, such as “All God’s Critters Got a Place in the Choir” (a hit from summer camps to Carnegie Hall) and songs of hard-working prairie farmers, truckers, and bush pilots, are part of the folk lexicon and are often miscredited to “Traditional.” David Amram calls Bill Staines “A modern-day Stephen Foster…his song will be around 100 years from now.”

Tickets: Ludgate Farms, Ithaca Guitar Works, GreenStar, Bound for Glory, online http://www.cornellfolksong.org/ $15 advance/$17 door; $3 rebate for members, seniors, teens; children free. Cornell students $10/$12. Info: 607-279-2027 or website.

–Margaret Shepard

Local singer/songwriter Emily Arin to perform at Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah

MONTOUR FALLS, NY—It’s a small world indeed when a connection is made between Nuuk, Greenland, Montour Falls, New York and Park City, Utah.

In mid-2008, Montour Falls-based singer/songwriter Emily Arin was notified that her song “When You Knew Me When” had been selected as part of the soundtrack to Nuummioq, Greenland’s first-ever feature film production.

In December of ‘08, Nuummioq’s producer, Mikisoq H. Lynge, learned that his film was accepted into the World Cinema Dramatic competition at the prestigious annual Sundance Film Festival hosted in Park City, Utah. Only thirteen films out of more than a thousand entries were chosen in this category.

In celebration of the inspiring trajectory of the first Greenland/Inuit produced film, a post-premiere concert has been scheduled at the Sundance ASCAP Music Café on Sunday, January 24 from 9pm-midnight in Park City. A handful of musicians from the soundtrack will take the stage. Emily Arin will be among them.

“When You Knew Me When” (produced by Chad Crumm) has not been officially released, but is available for purchase as part of Arin’s Impossible Fleet project (www.impossiblefleet.com). $1 buys Slipstream, a 4-song EP that includes the song.

In addition to songwriting and performing, Emily Arin currently works as the Literacy Volunteer Coordinator of Schuyler County, New York—a component of the Economic Opportunity Program headquartered in Elmira, New York.

EMILY ARIN’S SONGWRITING BIO
With her plaintive, at times delicate voice, singer/songwriter Emily Arin weaves tales concerned with the heavy graces of being human. She explores experiences where shadows and light converge and transformation is offered as a possibility. Deep in the bones of Arin’s songs, one can trace the wide-ranging mix of influences from Hank Williams and Memphis Minnie to Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake, Caetano Veloso, Tom Waits, Sybille Baier and Gillian Welch.

“The most talented solo artist to emerge in Ithaca in recent years, Emily Arin writes with profound emotional intimacy and honesty and has an exquisite voice to boot,” said Luke Z. Fenchel of the Ithaca Journal. “Her talent is on par with early Gillian Welch, Jana Hunter and Nina Nastasia.”

In late summer of 2007 Arin moved from her native Los Angeles to Schuyler County, NY to focus on developing her songwriting skills without the distractions of the big city. Since relocating to the Southern Tier, she has expanded her body of work, performed regularly in Ithaca and New York City, debuted in Austin, Texas and been joined by a stellar backing band.

“Songwriting for me is a process of distillation,” explains Arin. “My aim is to arrive at an essence—to repeatedly filter an idea/emotion until lyrics, melody, and rhythm combine to form an honest vehicle for sharing life’s poignancy, playfulness and mystery.” Whether autobiographical songs of love and longing, or third person waltzes and ballads, Arin’s inventiveness with language and melody hold court.

This past year, her songs have captured the affection of radio luminary, Vin Scelsa (Idiot’s Delight, WFUV), and garnered praise from Kim Ruehl on No Depression’s website where she was named one of the “top five unknown artists you love.” Her song “When You Knew Me When” was recently selected for the soundtrack to Greenland’s first international feature film “Nuummioq” alongside work from Giant Sand, Howe Gelb, Matt Bauer and Nive Nielson.

Other 2009 highlights include opening for John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats) at Ithaca College and working with Greg Weeks (Espers, Language of Stone) to record her first full-length studio album slated for release in early 2010. Emily Arin will also be appearing on albums by Artanker Convoy (Social Registry) and Jennie Lowe Stearns in early 2010.

ABOUT NUUMMIOQ
The most ambitious film ever to emerge from Greenland, and the first Greenland/Inuit–produced feature, Nuummioq tells the story of a young man’s odyssey from mundane existence into an acute sense of the sacred. Like most regular guys in the tiny capital city, Malik works, cavorts with buddies, and fools around—toggling between Danish and Kalaallisut languages. All at once, when he discovers he’s very ill, mortality intrudes. Keeping the news to himself, Malik accompanies his cousin on a boat trip. What begins as an unremarkable outing becomes a transcendent journey at the edge of the world as he grapples with his elusive past and tunes into the present.

So breathtaking and luminous is Nuummioq’s landscape that you can almost feel the brisk air oxygenating your lungs. The tender play of shadow and light on the characters’ faces seems to suggest that we’re only a flicker in nature’s vast radiance; but during our short time here, there’s family, tradition, and maybe even love.

Experience a January thaw at the Sixth Annual “Dance and Dessert Potluck” hosted by Hands Four Dancers of Ithaca, Saturday, 16 January, Women’s Community Building in Ithaca (100 W. Seneca St., opposite Dewitt Mall). Contra dancing, 7:30-10:30 pm, is followed by a fabulous dessert potluck and schottisches, hambos, and waltzes, 10:30-11:30 pm. Step lively and you just might balance your caloric intake and output! Music is by the witty, high-energy Contradictions: Laurie Hart on fiddle, Rick Manning on fiddle and mandolin, Tom Hodgson on guitar, Dave Davies on bass, and the sparkling Vikki Armstrong calling. Their irresistible fiddle harmonies and imaginative, hot rhythms will drive the cold winter away, at least for one night. Having performed together for a decade, they’re revered for tight playing; nary a contradictory note. Their peppy mix of Appalachian and Irish jigs and reels, bluegrass, driving French Canadian tunes, lilting Swedish couple dances, 1930s and Texas swing, and sophisticated tango-waltzes from Venezuela has brought joy to dancers from the Saratoga Dance Flurry, the Brattleboro Dawn Dance, and Ashokan, to the Finger Lakes!

Beginners are welcome, with a workshop at 7:15 to teach the simple steps. No need to bring a partner, but please bring clean, soft-soled shoes and something yummy to share for the grand dessert finale. Hot beverages will be provided. This celebration is a great time to bask in the warmth of our dance community.

Admission: $8 for HFDI members, $10 for nonmembers. For more information, call 607-539-3174 or visit www.hands4dancers.org.

– Margaret Shepard

The O’Shanigans contra dance band is on tour of the contra dance halls of Central New York — Jan 17th Owego,  Jan 22nd Syracuse, Feb 13th Dance Flurry (some of us: Tim is performing!), Feb 20th Binghamton, March 5th back to Bethel Grove, May 14th location TBA!! O’Shanigans is Tim Ball on fiddle, Mike Ludgate on mandolin and tenor banjo and Phil Robinson on guitar. Tom Hodgson will be sitting in for Phil at some of these events. FULL STORY http://www.canaaninstitute.org/oshanigans.html

Fri Jan 08 — ITHACA NY — The O’Shanigans return to Bethel Grove. The astounding Peter Blue from Oneonta NY will be calling the dances! O’Shanigans return for a Contra Dance at Bethel Grove Community Center at 1825 Slaterville Road (Rt 79 about 4 miles east of Ithaca) Ithaca NY from 8-11 pm. Admission $6- Don’t miss them this time! This is an authentic old New England style venue with a newly refinished dance floor! Bring clean shoes, a water bottle and YOUR FRIENDS! All dances taught, No partner needed.

O’Shanigans is Tim Ball on fiddle, Mike Ludgate on mandolin and tenor banjo and Phil Robinson on guitar. Tom Hodgson will be sitting in for Phil at this event.

BAND WEBSITE http://www.canaaninstitute.org/oshanigans.html
VENUE WEBSITE http://tedcrane.com/DanceDB/DisplayDance.com?key=US_NY_ITH_TCCD
VENUE’S POSTER http://canaaninstitute.org/photos/TCCD_Insert_current.pdf
BAND’S EVENT POSTER http://canaaninstitute.org/docs/OshanigansJan08poster.pdf
FACEBOOK EVENT http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=192128344102

WALTZ JAM — This particular contra dance will be preceded by the monthly event, “Dancing to a Waltz Jam”. Generally the first Friday of the month, for one hour 7-8 pm, there is an open band that plays waltzes as a warm-up to the contra dance. The waltz event is free. The contra dance admission is $6- WALTZ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltz

TOM HODGSON — Tom Hodgson played folk guitar as a teenager, and has gone on to accompany some of the great fiddlers of the Irish, New England and Midwest dance scenes, including Randy Miller, Laurie Hart and Martin Hayes. He has traveled extensively with a Vermont dance performing group, the Green Mountain Volunteers. http://web.mac.com/lauriehart/Contradictions/The_Contradictions.html

DIRECTIONS to this DANCE – http://tedcrane.com/DanceDB/DisplayVenue.com?key=US_NY_ITH_BG Bethel Grove Community Center 1825 Slaterville Road (NYS Rt.79) (from Ithaca take State Street east to Rt. 79, about four miles from the Ithaca Commons; a few hundred yards past the Bible Church)

FROM THE DANCERS AND MUSICIANS about O’Shanigans – “Super dance on Friday! You guys were peppy, and there were some imaginative arrangements that made even old, familiar tunes sound fresh. Hooray for the O’Shanigans!” “We would love to have O’Shanigans play music for our wedding!” “It was invigorating music, great company and fun caller!” “Do play for us again!” “It was fun dancing and even more so to the tunes of O’Shanigans!” “It was great!” “Mike, you and Phil and Tim were SOLID! I had a blast and my daughter had fun too! Thanks for playing, and thanks Ray for the goodies!” “We’ve heard great stuff about you guys: We’d love to have you play at our dance!” “Wow! I have not seen that kind of energy at the Friday Dance in long time, you guys were great!” “That was the most amazing medley … was there something Middle Eastern in there?” “You guys were way out there like in Hungary or somewhere? … then you brought it back home with that old-time tune … the best version of that I have ever heard!” “The band was absolutely wonderful last night!”

About Contra Dancing: WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR FIRST DANCE Contra dancing is easy to learn. It’s so easy to learn that you don’t take lessons. Just show up at a dance and by the end of the first night you’ll have learned Contra dance in Ithaca NYall the dance moves and you will be able to enjoy the next dance even more. People are friendly and welcoming to beginners. The age range is from kids to folks that have been around for a while. Both singles and doubles come to contra dances and women as well as men ask people to dance. It is usual that you change partners after every dance. You will meet people in a relaxed, pleasant, smoke and alcohol free atmosphere. The patterns of the dance can be a tad confusing at first but remember everyone had a first time and that other dancers will help you. Listen to the caller and the music and go with the flow of the dance. Some people find they get dizzy at first. Looking directly at the person you are dancing with eliminates this sensation. For many, the music is what keeps them coming back as it is exciting and lively. People come to dance, hear the music, socialize and have a good time.

WHAT TO WEAR? Wear smooth soled shoes and comfortable light weight clothing. Some halls require non-street shoes so make sure the soles of shoes aren’t bringing grit onto the dance floor. Most people bring a bottle of drinking water. Contra dancing is joyous so it’s important that you bring a smile. Adapted from http://www.greatmeadowmusic.com/music.html

More information About Contra Dancing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contra_dance
http://tedcrane.com/DanceDB/DisplayDance.com/US_NY_ITH_TCCD
http://hands4dancers.org/
http://www.syracusecountrydancers.org/
http://contra.binghamtondance.org/contra_calendar.htm