The Austin Friends of Traditional Music promise to erase our winter duldrums with this year's Mid-Winter Festival. The festival includes an impressive performance roster as well as workshops in Irish fiddle, Appalachian clogging, bluegrass vocal harmonies, jug band music, and more.
The festival kicks off with Mary Hattersly and the Blazing Bows, a children's fiddling group that applies the Suzuki method to playing Texas fiddle music. Next on the docket are the 1001 Nights Orchestra, a Middle Eastern group that plays songs ranging from Southwest Asia and the Caucuses in the East to the western shores of the Mediterranean, as well as original compositions. The group is led by Kamran Hooshmand, who brings the sounds of his native Iran with the oud, guitar, rabab, santour, and saz.
Rumbullion will be performing, a group that combines original and traditional instrumental music in a swinging, French jazz style. Jeff Moore and Heather Gilmer will be performing traditional Irish music, with their tunes ranging from jigs and reels to dance music from the Sliabh Luachra regions of Ireland.
Several bluegrass performers are included in the line-up. Brennan Leigh plays guitar and sings bluegrass, gospel, and Americana. The Electric Mountain Rotten Apple Gang bill themselves as a Texas thrash grass combo, inspired by the traditional sounds of bluegrass and mountain string bands, delivering a high energy stage act. Ranch Road 12, formed in April of last year and featuring Alan Munde on the banjo, Janice Rogers on the bass and Elliott Rogers on guitar, will play hill country bluegrass.
Rattletree Marimba play Zimbabwean style marimba, a high energy dance and trance music that they guarantee will get you on your feet. And the Big Jug band will finish the night with their eclectic American jugband music.
Food service will be available, and includes offerings for both the vegetarians and the carnivores among us, as well as drinks. Proceeds from food sales support the Austin Friends of Traditional Music (AFTM).
The festival takes places on Sunday, February 15th at the Dougherty Arts Center on Barton Springs Road, with performance and workshops running from noon to 9:30. Admission to the winter fest is $15 for regular admission, $12 for members of AFTM. Discounts exist for seniors and students. Children over 12 pay $5 and children under 12 are free. Admission not only gives you access to the great performances, but gives you entry to the wide range of workshops on offer. If the economic downturn has you pinching pennies, you can be admitted for free by volunteering to help with the festival, including setting up the auction, helping empty garbage, working as a stage hand or working in food service.
The seed for AFTM was planted in the autumn of 1974, when a group of musicians came together in an Austin living room to plan a convention for traditional music pickers and singers. By November, they held their first event, which was a huge success. Currently, AFTM presents two yearly music festivals, with an emphasis on central Texas music community and featuring both local and not-so-local talent. Check their website for more information about pre-registration or about signing up as a volunteer with the Mid-Winter Fest.
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