Emerald Forest Filk Society: Quarong's Celtic Directory -- Part 2 (really :)

From: Mistress of the Blue Shift <quarong at eskimo.com>
Date: Sun, 12 Oct 1997 20:41:30 -0700 (PDT)

QUARONG'S CELTIC DIRECTORY **

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Part 2

(6) Dance Classes
(7) Language & Instrument Lessons
(8) My Favorite Performers & How to Find Them

*********************************************************

PART 6 = DANCE LESSONS First, some definitions:
-- A "ceili" (pronounced "kay-lee") is a Scottish dance party, although
the term is used for Irish gatherings as well. They are an outgrowth of traditional social events in which people of all ages and skill levels gathered to dance, talk, and eat. Ceili dances involve sets of 4-10 people, and usually progress so that you are dancing with a new line of people each time you go through the movement series. These dances can also be formalized for competition or performance purposes.
-- "Set dancing" looks a lot like the American square dances most
people are familiar with: waltzes, hornpipes, polkas, etc. There is a lot of hand and body interaction with the people in your set (usually 8), and the footwork is very simple and stays on the ground.

"Step dancing" is what you saw in "Riverdance": the complicated footwork and athletic leg movements. Particularly in the Irish forms, there is very little upper body movement involved. Step dancers work as individuals, although you may have a line of people in a performance all doing the same steps, or taking turns with different steps. This is the form most highly developed for competitive purposes.
-- Overall, Irish and Scottish dancing is pretty similar. However, Irish
tends to be a bit faster and more athletic than Scottish dancing. The Scots use their upper bodies more, and put together more figures with other dancers, rather than solely as individuals.

Second, a note: I am not printing details about when and where exactly what type of class is being held because it changes frequently with most of these groups, depending on the skill level and interests of their current membership. Please call the contact person listed for up-to-date information.

Two excellent sources of additional information: * Seattle Folk Dancing Webpage = <http://mfisher.ml.org/~mfisher/dancing>

	He has listings and links to groups teaching in a wide variety of 
	traditions.
* Portland Celtic Music & Dance Events = <http://www.teleport.com/~sm/
	dance.html>
	If you're in Portland, this is the guy to ask about what's 
	happening.

BALLYGLAS IRISH DANCERS
-- Call Maggie Corrigan at (206) 324-6141 for more information.

Classes are being offered for children and adults, both step and group dancing. Cost is $50 for a 6 week session on Sunday afternoons in Central Seattle. This is another school which tends to focus on the more traditional styles, and for training young dancers for performance and competition.

CAPE BRETON STEP DANCING
-- Call Sue Truman at (206) 526-9659 or write 6211 28th Avenue NE, Seattle
98115 for more information.
-- This is a hard shoe, percussive form of Scottish Stepdance from Nova
Scotia. Both Beginning/Intermediate and Intermediate/Advanced classes are offered.

COMERFORD SCHOOL OF IRISH DANCE
-- Call Mike Nagan in Seattle (206) 935-3225 or LaVonda McCandless
in Olympia (360) 705-2417 for more information. [Head office is at 421 - 1820 West 3rd Ave; Vancouver BC V6J 1K8. (604) 737-2680.]
-- Oriented towards teaching children and adolescents Irish step dances
for performance and competition; they also now offer some adult classes.

GAVAGIN IRISH DANCERS
-- Maire Gavaghan teaches Irish step and ceili dances to children for fun
and performance in the Mulkiteo Area; and also offers a beginning adult class for fun.

IRISH SET DANCING
-- Drop in lessons are held Tuesday nights at 8:30 at Conor Byrne's Pub
in Ballard. Live music by the Simpletones, instruction by Kathleen O'Grady. No experience or partner required. See NW Irish Dancers for more information.

LIVING DANCE CENTER
-- 3536 SE 26th Ave, Portland OR. (503) 230-9389.
- The Living Dance Center will be featuring a family set dance the third Sunday of every month, 3-6 PM, and a family ceili the fourth Sunday of every month, 3-6 PM.

MISTY CITY MORRIS DANCERS
-- Call Laurie at (206) 322-9306 for information about classes and
performances.
-- This is a style of traditional English folkdance with sticks,
handkerchiefs, and leg bells.

NW IRISH DANCERS
-- Call Eileen or Jenny at (206) 285-7186 or email
<NDancers at aol.com>.
-- Classes for all skill levels in both soft and hard shoe, including step,
ceili, and set dances. Primarily oriented towards teaching adults, they also offer a children's class, and can incorporate some teenagers into the adult sessions. They also have a performance company.
-- Classes are currently being offered at the Phinney Neighborhood
Center several nights of the week, but there are plans to extend to North Seattle Community College and onto the Eastside. (PNC. 6532 Phinney Ave N, Seattle 98103. 206-783-2244.)
-- Drop in set dancing lessons are held Tuesday nights at 8:30 at Conor
Byrne's Pub. Live music by the Simpletones, instruction by Kathleen.

PORTLAND CEILI SOCIETY
-- 1964 SE 21st Avenue; Portland, OR 97214
- There is a c�il� dance every month from September through May at the Portland Police Athletic Association hall at 618 SE Alder St. This dance is sponsored by the Portland Ceili Society. In addition to ceili dancing there is also some set dancing. The dances happen the third Friday of the month, from 8:30 until late. Steps are taught from 8:30 until 9 and dances are taught until midnight. After midnight, the musicians keep playing, but dances aren't taught. Admission is generally $5-7. During the summer they also generally plan some social events.
- They also sponsor Irish set and ceili dance classes through the Portland public schools at the Metropolitan Learning Center, 2033 NW Glisan St. Call (503) 280-5742 for current information.

ROYAL SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE SOCIETY
-- They hold numerous classes for all skill levels at several locations.
Fees about $30 for a 2 month series, no partner is required. They also hold monthly ceili's, and have a performance troupe.
-- University Heights Community Center is one of the major ones
(University Way & 50th St.); plus Phinney Neighborhood Center, and St. Andrew's in Bellevue.
-- Congressional Church of Mercer Island is their primary ceili site.
4545 Island Crest Way.
-- Call Rosalie at (206) 623-8188 or 745-2076 for more information.
* (Check your phone book for your local chapter, they have a lot of them.) In Portland, Call (503) 646-8647 for more information

SCOTTISH STEP DANCE = Call Elizabeth Miller at (206) 782-8345 for more information. Classes in the Northgate area.

VANCOUVER BC IRISH CEILI SOCIETY = Call (604) 736-8305 for more information. A lot of their events, plus other concerts, are held at the WISE Hall, 1882 Adanac St., Vancouver BC.
YAMHILL COUNTY CEILI SOCIETY
-- 251 Park Drive; McMinnville, OR 97128.
- There are c�il�s and classes scheduled in Newberg and McMinnville. There are dance classes held at St. James Church Gym in McMinnville. The church is at the east end of 2nd. The classes start at 7:30.

PART 7 = LANGUAGE & INSTRUMENT LESSONS IRISH GAELIC
-- Ciarnan O'Mahony (206) 781-2665. Both beginning and

intermediate levels, Greenwood.
-- Dennis King (206) 783-1974. Intermediate class in Ballard; maybe a

beginning one soon.
-- Liam Boyle (206) 361-7210. Classes on Capitol Hill, focus on

spoken language.

SCOTTISH GAELIC
-- Rich Hill (206) 322-3604. Teaches Mon-Thur.

DUSTY STRINGS = (206) 634-1656
-- 3406 Fremont Avenue North; Seattle, WA 98103. [This is right on
the north side of the Fremont Bridge, across from the Dubliner Pub.]
-- This is *the* spot to find out about Folk Music in Seattle. They have
a large collection of tapes/CDs, some sheet music and videos, drums, whistles, harps, lutes, harpsichords, guitars, etc. They build many of the instruments they sell, can do repairs, teach classes, and maintain a list of musicians for hire. They are in the process of moving their instrument workshop to another building so both it and the retail area can expand.

MAGICAL STRINGS
-- Philip & Pam Boulding, and associates. PO Box 4086; Seattle, WA
98104. (253) 857-3716 or 857-6402. <mstrings at harbornet.com>
-- In addition to doing some fantastic concerts, and producing several
albums. They also build, sell, and teach lessons in Celtic harp and hammered dulcimer for beginning and intermediate students in Seattle and Tacoma. Call for more information.

WASHINGTON PIPER'S ASSOCIATION
-- Call Chairman John Dally at (206) 767-8268 for more information.

PART 8 = MY FAVORITE PERFORMERS & HOW TO FIND THEM

I started writing this section and quickly figured out that a purely alphabetical listing was going to become unwieldy. So I've divided my list up into four categories: Traditional Celtic Groups, Celtic Rock Bands, Folk Singer-Songwriters, and Filkers; and sorted the artists alphabetically within those sections. These are rather arbitrary categories, and the assignment of many of the performers to one or another is even more arbitrary yet; but it's a place to start. I've tried to include a bit of information about each group's style, data on albums they have out, and how to contact them and learn more. If there's someone you really like, feel free to drop me a few lines about them, and I'll add the entry to the list.

(1) TRADITIONAL CELTIC GROUPS = These are bands which play many of the traditional Scottish and Irish ballads and dance tunes; but all of them also write a tremendous amount of original material as well.

ALTAN = A high energy Scottish group; who also do some quieter, more modern sounding ballads. They tour the NW once a year or so, and their albums are available in any music store.

AVALON RISING
-- For booking information contact Flowinglass Music. 2821 Truman
Avenue; Oakland, CA 94605. (510) 569-0437. <xiantha at well.sf.ca.us>
-- Traditional and original Celtic and European music, from the
Renaissance to the modern era. The band also has an album out based on the songs in Tolkien's stories; and the two lead members of the group, Margaret Davis and Kristoph Klover, have been involved with a number of filk tapes.

CAUPERCAILE = (Pronounced "copper-kay-lee".) Another high energy group, this time from Ireland; their music has a more modern sound, interspersed with quiet ballads. They have several albums out, try Green Linnet.

CHIEFTAINS = Probably one of the best known Celtic bands, they have a number of albums out spanning some twenty years of playing together. Check your local music store.

CRAOBH RUA = Pronounced "creeve rue-ah", this is a quartet from Belfast who alternates some very nice ballads with solid dance music. They have a couple of albums out, try Green Linnet.

DERVISH = A young group from Ireland known for playing dynamic traditional music. They've gotten rave reviews in some of the local publications. They play Seattle several times a year.

ALASDAIR FRASER & SKYEDANCE
-- For bookings contact <pwilson at oro.net> or (916) 292-4219

A wonderful Scottish style band: Insightful and entertaining lyrics, and truly gifted instrument playing, these guys are a lot of fun. Alasdair Fraser is very personable with the audience, and the humor and camaraderie of the ensemble comes across clearly. They tour actively and play Seattle once a year. Eric Rigler on pipes has been playing for a number of movies lately, including "Braveheart" and "Titanic"; and Paul Machlis on keyboards has an album out of his own called "The Bright Field". Together the group tends towards energetic traditional style tunes, with a fair amount of modern improvisation; when he's alone Alasdair Fraser tends towards the quieter side of Celtic music. Go see them if you have the opportunity, and if they encourage you to engage in some "wild, ethnic behavior", get up and dance!
Alasdair's albums include "The Road North" (a benchmark of the field), and "Portrait of a Scottish Fiddler", "The Driven Bow". Skyedance as a group has done "Skyedance", "Dawn Dance", and "Way Out to Hope Street" (1997).

MARTIN HAYES = An extraordinary NW fiddler, he has a couple of albums out and regularly tours and teaches at west coast workshops. His music tends towards the quieter reflective side.

GOLDEN BOUGH
-- PO Box 818; Pacifica, CA 94044. (415) 359-5832.

Rooted in traditional Celtic music, they are prone to wandering around through American and European folk music, lullabies, children's songs, holiday music; and have been involved in a number of efforts to bring attention to the situation in Bosnia. They play a wide variety of instruments, and showcase a number of talented musicians. They tour regularly and have over a dozen albums out.

MAGICAL STRINGS
-- Philip & Pam Boulding, and associates. PO Box 4086; Seattle, WA
98104. (253) 857-3716 or 857-6402. <mstrings at harbornet.com>
-- Beautiful harp and hammered dulcimer work, gives this family
orchestra a Celtic fringed new-age sound. Wonderful background music for those quiet afternoons. They keep busy most of the year teaching classes and working festivals, they do put on a series of concerts in various NW cities every winter, get tickets early.

LOREENA MCKENNITT
-- Quinlan Road. PO Box 933; Stratford, Ontario, Canada N5A 7M3.
(519) 273-3876.
-- There is a mailing list for her via <cwalters at mindspring.com>

Celtic music with a new age sound; her work is similar to, but more lyric oriented than Enya's. Her 1994 album "The Mask and the Mirror" focused on the sounds from the culture in Islamic North Africa, but still with Celtic threads. This is "spiritual" music in both sound and content, but in a very universal, nature-oriented fashion. McKennitt has been getting an increasing amount of airplay in movies and television, although not always with screen credits.
Albums to date are "Elemental" (1985), "To Drive the Cold Winter Away"(1987, old English holiday songs), "Parallel Dreams" (1989), "The Visit" (1991, my favorite), and "The Mask and the Mirror" (1994, Middle Eastern influences).

RASHERS = Another local traditional Celtic band, you'll see them at Folklife or periodically on the pub scene. Good dance band.

DALE RUSS = A Seattle fiddler with a couple of albums to his name. He plays mostly dance music, and a good amount of it slowly enough to make for quiet evening listening or to use for practicing new footwork.

SEA CHANTEYS = If you like "call and response" music, working songs and ballads from a life on the sea, there are a number of local groups to check out: The Cutters and Pilots of Tiger Bay. Plus David Lovine and the Mortal Coilers; who for one of their other hobbies serve as the crew of the Lady Washington, a re-creation of an 18th century square-rigged sailing ship, available for tours in the NW.

SUFFERING GAELS = One of the best pub bands in Seattle, they're playing every couple of weeks at one venue or another. If you want a fun night out clapping and dancing, this is a group to try.

TANNAHILL WEAVERS
-- Contact them via

<http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/tannahill_weavers>
-- One of the best known Scottish Bands, these men have been thrilling
crowds with their dynamic music for years. Their piper is particularly amazing to watch! They have a number of albums, try your local music store or Green Linnet.

TELYNOR
-- John & Anna Peekstok. PO Box 25418, Seattle, WA 98125.
(206) 524-5050. <telynor at aol.com>
-- A local duo who does a lot of traditional Celtic music, along with
tunes from the Medieval and Renaissance eras, and from farther into the European continent. They manage to combine a variety of instruments (including a hurdy gurdy) into a pleasing performance.

WICKED CELTS
-- Call Marissa at (206) 527-1713 for more information.

This is the second incarnation of this Seattle group, and while the first one was good, in many ways the second one is better. It's a large ensemble, with a harper, piper, cello player, fiddler, a couple of percussionists, and vocalists; but they weave it all together very well. They predominantly play ballads, but they do a lot of dance tunes as well; and when the space permits they'll teach a couple of the Scottish ceilis to the audience during a break, and then give the dancers a chance to perform during the next set. Their first CD will be out in November 1997.

(2) CELTIC ROCK BANDS = Take the traditional Celtic ensemble of fiddle, guitar, bodhran, and pipes; add modern drumsets and bass guitar, and replace the pipes with a flute; plug the entire set into an amplifier, and turn up the volume and the tempo; and you have Celtic Rock. Many of the tunes will be the same, but the overall sound is a bit more contemporary, and more danceable for those who haven't taken years of step classes. These groups also tend to incorporate more material from other cultures into their music, spreading out from a Celtic base.

OCTOBER PROJECT
-- Contact them via < http://www.sony.com/Music/index.html> or
<oproject at aol.com>
-- Not really Celtic, my roommate describes them as the Cocteau Twins meet
Enya; I'd probably call them new age rock. If you like the sound of Loreena McKennitt, where the lyrics are important, but the voices form an integral part of soaring melodies; you'll like these guys. They are based out of Virginia and I've never heard them live; but I keep the tapes in the car for mood adjustment background music. Their albums are "October Project" and "Falling Farther In" (1995).

PAPERBOYS
-- For mailing list and booking information contact Stomp Productions.
158 - 1896 West Broadway; Vancouver BC V6J 1Y9. (604) 738-4782. <http://www.musicwest.com/paperboys/> or <paperboys at musicwest.com>
-- This is a fantastic band from Vancouver BC that is just starting to
make it big, with their second album getting radio and video airplay; and the pubs they play at filled to bursting. They describe themselves as "Celtic Bluegrass Stomping Pop", but I use just "Celtic Rock". If you like high energy, fun dancing music with a definite Celtic slant; if you like Tempest; you'll like these guys. Lead vocals and guitar work is done by Tom, but they all take turns writing the lyrics and music. Hanz plays flute, Shona the fiddle, Paul is on percussion, Cam plays banjo and bass, and Shannon is the jill of all trades on accordion and viola. They play Seattle every couple of months, and you had better arrive early to the show if you want in. Well worth checking out!
-- Albums = "Late as Usual" (1995) and "Molinos" (1997).

TEMPEST
-- 2155 Park Blvd., suite 1; Oakland, CA 94606.
<http://www.execpc.com/~mrmike/tempest> or <celtrock at pacbell.net>
-- High energy Celtic rock with doses of Middle Eastern and Norse
music; these guys are a blast! Very danceable. They have 5 albums out now, and tour regularly. Lief Sorbye, the lead singer, plays a unique double-necked mandolin; and has a solo album ("Across the Borders"). Their early work was influenced by Jethro Tull, and they recently participated in a tribute recording for him; but they also have a strong feel of their own. This was my introduction to Celtic Rock, and to Irish step dancing, and I haven't quit since. If you like Tempest, check out The Paperboys.
-- Albums include "Sunken Treasures" (early material for the collector);
"Serrated Edge" and "Bootleg" (both very Celtic, my favorites); "Surfing to Mecca" (Middle Eastern influences), and "Turn of the Wheel" (Norse influences).

WOLFESTONE = Fairly traditional in their style, this Scottish group is too high-energy and has so many interesting twists, they fit better in this category. If you want fun, fast music to choreograph to, check them out.

(3) FOLK SINGER-SONGWRITERS = The emphasis in this genre is the lyrics the performer has written. Some of the songs may be fastpaced and upbeat, but they are still tunes you would sit and listen to, or sing along with, rather than dance music. I tend to prefer folk music in this genre, rather than pop-rock, as most folksongs have more to *say* than do the pieces played on your average radio station.

HEATHER ALEXANDER
-- Contact <seafire@teleport.com> or <http://www.teleport.com/~seafire>

Heather performs both traditional Celtic tunes on guitar, fiddle, and bodhran; as well as writing (with the help of Phil Obermarck) a tremendous number of original pieces in a similar style. A dynamic storyteller, with a gift for captivating her audience, Heather has just moved to the NW from the San Francisco Area.
Albums include "Wanderlust" (1994), "Life's Flame" (1996), and "Midsummer" (1997); as well as a number of other filk and Celtic projects.

THE COPPER FAMILY = A quartet from a small town in England, consisting of the father, in his 70's, his son and daughter and her husband, all in the 40's or 50's. What's wonderful about this group is not so much their singing talent, which is ok, but the stories and the obvious love they have for each other and the songs they do. The Copper family can trace their ancestors in that region back to 1300, and a musical legacy back to at least the mid-1700's. In 1897 a woman came down from London, having heard about a couple of men who knew a lot of the old songs, and she made recordings of them, and took them back to the city to form the English Folklore Society: This was the father and uncle of the oldest member of the current performing Copper Family set, and he grew up performing the same songs in local pubs, and now does shows around the world with his children. The material is predominantly English, but if you listen carefully you'll pick out threads which have metamorphosed into some of the better known Celtic and American folksongs. They last came to the US in Sept. 1996, but they did have a couple of songbooks out. The Seattle Folklore Society is very familiar with their work.

DICK GAUGHAN = Pronounced "Gah-gin", with the second "g" as in "get". A Scottish folksinger with a fairly loyal following here in Seattle he performs a variety of pieces of his own and by other Celtic and American folk-singers, some in English, some in Scots-Gaelic, and most somewhere in between. I've seen him a couple of times now, and this past July the first song he did had the chorus of "It's not what you were born with, but what you do with what you got." He then passed through a variety of remembrances of wars past, comments on the political situation in Great Britain, lessons on the Gaelic culture and language, dance tunes, and prayers for peace and equality yet to come. The final song had as a main theme the idea that "If you're waiting for a great leader to come and take all of us to the Promised Land, then I hope your arse is on a very comfortable cushion. The work is up to each of us." A good singer and storyteller with a fun sense of humor, he was capable of captivating the audience on many of his songs; and his guitar playing ranged from very soft and lyrical, to a hard almost Spanish sound, to something that made you think of bagpipes. I've heard better musicians, but the concert was a lot of fun. I wouldn't recommend him if you don't have at least some sympathetic understanding of Socialist politics, but if you do . . . .

JEFF HITCHIN
-- Mail <santa@wolfenet.com> or visit <http://www.serv.net/~santa>
for more information.
-- An up and coming NW filker with a strong background in humorous
folk music as well. He covers a number of Christine Lavin and Tom Smith tunes, as well as writing an increasing number of his own pieces ranging from the humorous "Tech Support" to the melancholy "Two Men Dancing". He hopes to have his first album out by early 1998.

JOHN McCUTCHEON = A Canadian folksinger who writes some "rip your heart out" songs for adults, such as "Christmas in the Trenches"; and also can do a hilarious and charming concert for the 4-8 year old set. The show in which he had the audience help him simulate a rainstorm using different types of hand-clapping, was a really neat experience. He generally visits Seattle around February or March, and has a couple of albums out.

FRED SMALL = (800) 788-6043
-- Small Potatoes, PO Box 765; Acton, MA 01720-0765

Fred Small quit his job as an environmental lawyer in New York in the early 80's to become a professional singer-songwriter in the tradition of Pete Seeger and Phil Ochs. If your politics run to the liberal side, to humanist, environmental, and peace causes; and to the support of people from all walks of life, or poor radioactive frogs and trapped cosmonauts; than Fred Small's music is for you. He writes some truly touching songs, and some very funny ones; and he's a wonderfully personable performer. Based in Massachusetts, look for him to tour again in late 1998 once he finishes graduate school.
Albums include "Love's Gonna Carry Us" (1981, for true collector's only); "No Limit" (1985), "The Heart of the Appaloosa" (1983, his best known song), "I Will Stand Fast" (1988, my favorite), "Jaguar" (1991, mostly environmental songs), and "Everything Possible" (1993, live concert). He also has a couple of single recordings out, and T-shirts. Finally, there are the two songbooks, with lyrics, guitar music, and stories explaining most of the songs he does.

(4) FILKERS = "Filk" is a genre of folk music based upon science fiction and fantasy books, movies, gaming characters, or whatever. In some cases, filkers will write new SF related lyrics to existing tunes; but they also produce a tremendous amount of original music as well, and incorporate more traditional folksongs into their gatherings. This genre of music is primarily found at science fiction conventions, and occasional private song circles. The medieval re-creation group, the SCA, has it's own variant, including both traditional period tunes, and modern pieces in that style or memorializing recent SCA events. (There's a bit more emphasis on skilled performance in the SCA, but as long as there are no blatantly non-period references, you can get away with pretty much anything.) Tapes, CD's and songbooks of this music are available from merchants at these events, and from various mail order houses. (See the "Distributors" section.) If you would like more information about this genre, email <jtraub at dragoncat.net> and ask about the low volume NW Filk Mailing List; or look at the Usenet group <alt.music.filk>. You can also check out convention listings at <http://www.webwitch.com/top/sf/> and SCA event listings at <http://www.sca.org/>.

JOE BETHANCOURT = Traditional Celtic and SCA related music, he's based in Arizona. He collaborated with Leslie Fish on "Serious Steel". More information via
<http://www.primenet.com/~cherie/rowanhld.html>

DURAS SISTERS
-- Contact them via <duras at primenet.com>

Based near Phoenix, Arizona, this trio of a cappella singers are hard to forget. Three outspoken women with a real sense of the universal underlying themes in science fiction media, they also do periodic songs on social and mainstream topics. They have been performing regularly in the SW, as well as attending science fiction and folk music conventions. Deborah Baudoin does most of their lyric and music writing, with help from both Elizabeth Burnham and Chris Dickenson. They have two albums now, "Masquerading as Human" (1994) and "Rubenesque" (1997).

CECILIA ENG = Portland based musician, convention merchant, and organizer of Friends of Filk. Cecilia has two albums of her own "Cecilia Eng: Live" and "Of Shoes and Ships"; plus has helped out on numerous other recordings. Most of her songs are media and book related, but she also has strong love for the space program; and she frequently anchors NW filkcircles, taking requests from multiple directions.

CAT FABER = Coming from the SCA Bardic tradition, where there is as much emphasis on memorization and performance style as there is on lyrical and musical content, Cat Faber has been a real treat in the NW. >From the fun of "Nine Cats" to the heart-wrenching "Oklahoma City" to the mind-broadening "Acts of Creation", her clear voice and engaging style is very enjoyable to listen to.

LESLIE FISH = Probably the most prolific filk songwriter in the past couple of decades, she's turned out tunes ranging from the silly "Here We Go A-Rambo'ing" to the inspirational "Hope Eyrie". Her albums include the solo post-Apocalyptic mindset tape called "Firestorm", a 1996 effort with Joe Bethancourt of SCA songs called "Serious Steel", a couple of albums of Ruyard Kipling's lyrics; and so many collaborations with Heather Alexander, Bob Kanefsky, and Mercedes Lackey, some suspect a conspiracy to take over the world. Her voice is rough, her politics are somewhere between Libertarian and Anarchist, and her personality can take some getting used to; but modern filk wouldn't be nearly the same without her. Based in Arizona, you'll have to travel to that neighborhood or Worldcon to see her.

BOB KANEFSKY = Sick and twisted, humorous filk in the stereotypical sense of the word: Bob takes songs from other filkers (notably Heather Alexander, Cecilia Eng, and Leslie Fish) and throws them through a spatial-temporal vortex. He's quick and he's bizarre: the "Richter Scale" of earthquakes becomes the "Kinsey Scale" of sexuality; but some of his products are even better than the original, such as "Shapes in Shadow" about the subtle differences between the wielders of magic and technology. Based in the San Francisco area, he has three "Songworm" tapes and two songbooks out.

JORDIN KARE = A space scientist by profession, many of his songs have to deal with computers and spacecraft; but he also enjoys writing ones based on SF literature, and can be a wicked punster if you get him started. He and his wife, Mary Kay, are active in running San Francisco conventions, and have a long history in filking and in fandom. His only solo album is titled after his best known song, "Fire in the Sky"; but he keeps talking about doing another one.

MICHAEL LONGCOR = Based in Indiana, his music regularly creeps out to the west coast either in solo albums such as "Dangerous Heroes" or "Michael Longcor: Undead"; or as a backup musician for other projects.

KATHY MAR = Another prolific filk writer who's had a strong influence on the current form of the genre, Kathy Mar lives in California and regularly works with British filker Zander Nyrod. Her tunes tend towards the reflective: memories from childhood, comments on the human condition. She has several albums of her own out. More information via <kathy at xocolatl.com>.

CYNTHIA McQUILLIN = The third major west coast songwriter, her work also tends towards contemplative themes and social commentary; but she also writes a lot of songs about vampires, cats, and life in a space faring civilization. Two of her more recent albums are "Bedlam Cats" and "Mid-Life Crisis", she was also a major participant in Marion Zimmer Bradley's "Consenting Adults of Darkover". She frequently works with Jane Robinson and the Duras Sisters.

JANE ROBINSON = San Francisco dinosaur expert turned massage therapist, Jane is one dynamic lady. Her recent album "Dr. Jane's Remains" includes both a hilarious song about possible methods by which the Universe was created, and the moving "Who Owns the Bones" about the corporate and government battle over the prime Tyrannosaurus Rex, "Sue", who was just auctioned off to a museum in Chicago. Her album "Wackadamia" is a 'must-own' for anyone who's ever gone to graduate school. She frequently works with Cynthia McQuillin and the Duras Sisters.

OK, I think I've finally reached the end of this directory, for the time being at least. :) I hope I've given you at least a couple of new activities or performers to try out.

If you have any comments, you can direct them to me at <quarong at eskimo.com>. Until then, keep those toes tapping!

Quarong Received on 10/12/97