Applejam 2009

        Kids  running up and down  rows of  Red Delicious, Honeycrisp,  and Ginger Gold’s  playing hide and seek.    Branches laden  with red and yellow fruit.   In the middle of the  orchard  a small wooden stage for musicians, story tellers and who know what…. and  a long table filled with  pies, maidrites,the smell of  black coffee and apple cider in the September air.

      That  is what applejam looked like in my mind even before I drove the first nail , or picked up the phone in 2002  to find some musicians -Flash forward to September 12th 2009.  We just wrapped up our 11th Applejam.

     The Bible talks about us making plans but then the Lord directing our steps.  That is a great word picture for what has happened with Applejam.  If you’re reading this and don’t believe, I understand,  I really do.  I spent the first twentysome years of my life thinking the same thing.  But when God decides to reel you in, you’ll know it. 

       After each Applejam my wife and I would critique everything- what worked, what didn’t, what would make things run more smoothly?   In 2003 it rained, we still had 40 people show up, so on a lark we moved everything into the basement of our 100 yr old red barn- no lights, no electricity, listening to a 3 piece Mennonite group while it drizzled outside.  (We still had fun)    After that, we decided to set up in the barn….just in case.   I  wired the barn with enough circuits to support a 5 piece band.   (Remember U2 is my favorite band…you just never know)

      As a result of Applejam we’ve hosted musicians from literally all over the world.  We  have a small bed and breakfast that we  see as a watering hole for traveling musicians.  We’ve even been known to barter on occassion- talk to me about  singing  for your meal and a place to lay your head.  Did you know  there is a subculture of  musicians traveling the country?

     Here is a pictorial highlight of Applejam 2009:

Jesse resident artist

   Tom and  Pam.  Tom played a Neil Young cover that sounded just like the original.  Someone told me this was the first time Tom had performed in public for at least 10 years…what a treat.

Some of the crowd

Kathy, Beka and Angie surprising their Papa

Addy and friend dancing to Fran Snyder

Sam, Kailee ,and Patrick-  on short notice (30 minutes)  they put something together-  all I can say is Wow

Fran (on the right) drove over an hour by herself and her two little ones to perform- sang some original songs.  I asked her if she would come back and play at another one of our events- she was delightful.

This young couple (and their son)   worked tirelessly behind the scene- They spent an extended weekend with us.  I think we all made lots of memories

Here is “Lena” my dad’s first cousin doing a comedy routine

Fran Snyder- He  was our headliner this year, came all the way from Kansas.  Great sound and a lot of fun.

 

View of the barn after dark…with  music  and light flowing through  the cracks.

Last Three Months In Pictures

    If a picture’s worth a thousand words, then this post will give me a chance to catch up with some of you    The past 3 months have been some of the busiest  in years. 

      I know how to build “margin” in my life, and it’s slim….Ready?  Here goes…

We played host to a family reunion in July.  Wife’s siblings (she’s one of 7) were all back in town to connect.  I love my wife’s family.   They’re not perfect but they really work at staying involved in each others lives. They are scattered all over the United States.  I took one of my nephews to work one day:

Nephew bonding with Uncle Doug, pouring cement

Late July we hosted concert # 3  in the 2009 Bear River Concert series.  Here’s a picture of  Jesse Martin, Gayla Drake Paul and myself after the show

In 1999 I stayed several days with a family in California while attending a conference.  We’ve kept in touch ever since.  Catherine and her son Jonathan came for a visit. She was originally from the Midwest, came back for a school reunion, wanted Jonathan to connect with some of his roots.  This is a picture of all of us one Sunday morning

Here’s Jonathan seeing what potatoes look like fresh from the garden

Here’s Jonathan petting one of the hens.  I think it’s Joy

In early August, I got a call from someone saying “Let’s do it”  We’d been talking about building him a new 26,000 sq ft warehouse.  Here’s a picture of the first day digging footings.  Once we broke ground, this project  has been a priority .

We had 11 inches of rain the first 2 weeks of this job, our ditches had to be repeatedly pumped out in order to pour the wall and footings.  Here’s one area with 5 feet of water in mud.  Made for some long days

 

  

Dad always said, never ask someone to do something you won’t do yourself (I think many of our government leaders missed that lecture)  Here’s a picture of nephew, son and myself  bucketing mud off the footings.  The mud was too thick for the sump pump so we did it old school.

 

Speaking of school, I started teaching part time in a new community college building.  This is a picture of me in the shop. I teach 2 construction related classes from 12:30 till 2 Monday through Friday.   I love the class, have a great bunch of guys, but it has been brutal in terms of  my schedule.  I go to my first job (building new warehouse) from 7:30 till 11:15 , run home, clean up, head to the school, teach, then go back to the construction site.  In the evenings, most nights I have to work on the lesson plan for the next day.  It has really cut into the time I typically blog.

    In late August, we hosted concert # 4 with GDP 3.  Here’s a view through my video camera. 

Here’s a picture of the cement pump starting to pour the floor in the warehouse.

 

Forgot to mention, we have a bumper crop in the orchard this year, so we’ve started picking apples.  Here’s two little cousins picking apples

 

Here’s a picture of my son with some of the cortlands

   Last week friend and fellow blogger Kristina and family came for a visit.  I think we all made lots of memories.  Here’s a picture of us after we got off the river kayaking. 

Here’s a picture of Kristina in the kitchen cooking w/o meat.  She really is a great cook.   I could get used to having a full time maid

 Applejam (Concert #5) took place over the weekend that Kristina and family was here. They were a great help.  I’m guessing there were at least 120 people here for that.  Here’s a picture of a brother sister duo who were awesome.  He sang a Neil Young song that sounded as good as the original.

Young lady on the right  just finished singing @ Applejam.

     I did get on stage and sing an Alison Kraus song with Kathy, DJ and Lori during Applejam.

I’m going to have to stop there.      Wanted to stay in touch w/ those of you that are regular readers.- later- DM

Bodhrán

      This past Saturday night,  the beat of a  Bodhran  drum cast it’s spell over young and old…. I watched as my granddaughter   got out of her stroller,  with child like abandon began to move  her arms and then her  feet to the beat of the Irish drum.

    If you’ve never heard one, take a minute  to listen to this  clip:

      

 

     Saturday night was our 2nd  concert in the 2009 Bear River Concert Series  we’re co-hosting with Camp Courageous of Iowa…It rocked.   Here is a picture of Jacquie Manning from Small Potatoes playing her Bodhran:

 

     Here is a snapshot  my granddaughter  dancing to the drum….

      Before I met my wife, I spent  2 yrs drink’n, smoke’n the wacky weed (I didn’t inhale), and trying various other methods  to catch a buzz.  Woke up a few times not remembering where I’d parked my car.  There’s  a good chance many of you reading this have done similar stupid things….that’s not my point.  If you’re still doing that sort of thing. or if you did it when you were younger, why do we do it????

I did it to fit in

 I did it because I was bored…

I did it for the  fun,  which it sometimes delivered short term, but I hated waking up the next morning, w/ a splitting headache  feeling like I was going to loose my cookies.

       There was a moment in a budding relationship w/ my future wife where I thought to myself…if she  finds out about some of this stuff, she is going to  drop me like a hot potato,   so I made an intentional decision to step away from the booze and drugs.    It’s possible you know….

   It doesn’t mean I don’t still have an occasional beer, but honestly, the rush I felt on Saturday night, listening to the Bodhran,  and watching Addison dance  is  so much sweeter, and I’m still living off of it, 96 hours later.

If you absolutely have to take something  for  a mood enhancer, I’d recommend a cup of coffee- black/ no sugar, it’s all natural, legal and in moderation can be good for you.

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts   DM

Photo highlights of Our May 30th folk concert

         The Sill barn on the   Camp Courageous   property came alive this past Saturday night.   More than seventy Five people enjoyed an evening of great music in a rustic barn nestled back in the  tall pines.   The Dalziels and Beth Wood can each  hold their own with the best of them- Both have been finalists more than once @ theKerville folk festival, Beth won it in 2005.   If you have a second, check out that link to Kerville.  I’d never heard of it before we started hosting  music festivals..the level of talent will blow you away. 

      “The acoustics in the barn are so good, you might not even need a sound system.”  Scott Dalziel   commented 

      Judy F.(who attended the event with her husband Jamie)  said one of the things she loved about Saturday night was she could understand the words, it wasn’t just a bunch of noise.

    It’s hard to describe how magic the night really was.  If you’re not doing anything June 27th another evening is in the works.  A group called the Small Potatoes is coming to Monticello   We’ve already gotten calls from people as far away as the Twin Cities telling us they are coming. Most (not all)  of these artists coming for the concert series are  hand picked by Michelle Dalziel herself.   

        On July  18th Gayla Drake Paul is coming, she’s on a list of the top 100 acoustic guitarists on the planet!-

    Another fun project we have in the works with this concert series is a music DVD with highlights of the series.  A local TV station is taping each of the concerts and asked me to interview the artists  one on one for some “behind the music” clips as well. 

  Here are some photos from last Saturday night:

Here’s Michelle and Scott Dalziel, Beth Wood and the Mrs and I right after the concert

Here’s a picture of the crowd

Here’s my daughter Katie and her BF Jason helping us with check in

This is my co-worker and daughter Beka and her boyfriend Frank helping out at the merchandise table.

   

     

Bear River Concerts- In The Chute and Ready to Ride

  In case you’re wondering what it feels like behind the scenes with the  Bear River concert series, let me give you a word picture.

     I feel like I am sitting on the back of a big black  bull in the chute at the rodeo, something which I have never done before.    I have no idea what I’m in for when the gate opens….I may be in for the ride of my life:

Friday (today) or Monday, a public service announcement about the concert series goes  out to 500 news organizations (Newspapers, radio, and TV)    Once that happens,  there is no turning back.  We have no idea how many people might come to concerts…50 or 500  Because of that, we got a second phone line and are encouraging reservations if you think you might be coming.    

         Here’s a peak at who will be perfoming  May 30th at 7 PM in the Sill Barn on the Camp Couragous property:

Biography for the Dalziels
KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL’S, NEWFOLK FINALISTS 2004 and 2007!!!

CD, Thinking Out Loud, #12 on International Folk Charts

Folk Alley’s artist of the month in 2008
The fresh and soulful sounds of Scott andMichelle’s voices, combined with their high energy performance, memorable and meaningful songwriting, and instrumental finness, put them in a category all their own. Said to have more sound than two people should be allowed, acoustic Rock or Folk genres could very well hold them but not completely. They dip down into R&B, Jazz, roots, and Blues showing the versatility of this duo. Since their Kerrville Folk Festival and South West Regional Folk Alliance Debut’s in 2004, they are gaining recognition and respect from not only audiences, but from venue owners and established artists alike:

“Scott and Michelle have a super tight duo sound with great harmonies, great guitar playing and some of the most soulful drumming and singing anywhere. I Love these guys!” – Chris Rosser, Singer Songwriter, Producer, Engineer

These guys have the full package, tight harmonies, solid songs, and a groove that won�t stop. All dished out with loads of fun, great energy, and big open hearts.- Johnsmith,

“Scott and Michelle opened for me and I was knocked out by their great songs, singing, andplaying. They were great!” – Michael Smith,

A beautiful natural blend of voices and musicianship with some intriguing writing. It’s obvious they enjoy performing together because they’re very connected on stage They opened for Michael Smith at the Village Square. Our audience loved them and has asked us to bring them back!
…. – Chris McNamara, Village Square Concert Series

“Michelle andScott – What a breathof fresh air, passionate, intelligent lyrics with just enough mystery making their music unique and appealing. This is a duo going places.” Rachel Bissex

“Great songs, great playing, great people–what else do you need?” Small Potatoes

 

Instrumentation
Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, djembe, hand percussion.

Discography
Waitng for the Revolution
Greater than I
Diary
Thinking Out Loud

___________________________________________________________

There must be something in the waterThat’s the inevitable phrase BethWood hears any time she talks about growing up in Lubbock, a high plains Texas town with a uniquely rich musical heritage that includes Buddy Holly, Natalie and Lloyd Maines, Mac Davis, and Joe Ely to name a few. Beth doesn’t remember the water tasting particularly funny, so all she can do is nod her head in agreement and say…”indeed!”

It was in Lubbock that this fiercely talented singer-songwriter began her musical journey. Beth’s family demonstrated extreme patience as they supported her classical studies in piano, violin, harp, andvoice. With grandiose dreams of becoming a musician, a baker, or a cowgirl, Beth left west Texas to study voice and piano at Brevard College in North Carolina. She then moved on to another musically-blessed town, Austin, where she earned her degree in literature and picked up her first guitar. Living in Austin awakened Beth’s creativity, and it was there that she began writing songs and performing them in clubs and coffeehouses.

Inspired by an electric moment at a Rickie Lee Jones concert, Beth threw caution and her day-job to the wind to become a full-time musician. Twelve years, thousands of shows, seven albums, three cars, and numerous awards later, she has never looked back. Beth’s exceptional musicianship, crafty songwriting, and warm stage presence have been winning over audiences from coast to coast. “It’s really hard to not fall in love with Beth and her music,” writes one Texas music journalist. Thanks to a healthy obsession with words, an ability to drive long distances, an innate musical sense, and keen observational skills, Beth finds herself perfectly suited for the job of modern-day troubadour. This job has brought Beth many diverse opportunities beyond stage performance. She has taught creativity workshops to students young and old, shared her poetry at literary events, contributed to a literary journal, provided music for weddings, and done extensive vocal studio work. Beth also loves combining her love of sports and classical singing to perform our National Anthem for teams such as the Texas Rangers, Dallas Mavericks, Fort Worth Cats, and many others.

In February of 2008, Beth released her seventh independent CD, BEACHCOMBER’S DAUGHTER aboard Cayamo, a seven-day Caribbean songwriters’ cruise featuring Lyle Lovett, Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin, John Hiatt, and many more. Bethcollaborates with Dallas’s finest studio musicians on her self-produced BEACHCOMBER’S DAUGHTER, a mature work that elegantly captures Beth’s soulful and versatile voice, her thoughtful and thought-provoking songwriting, her knack for arrangement and song interpretation, and her musical versatility.

If you ask Beth to describe her music, she might just shrug. Some have called it folk, pop, folk-pop, country-folk, Americana, etc. Beth prefers to say it is soulful, organic, free-range, barefoot music delivered through a high energy communicator of joy. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram calls Beth “a superb singer-songwriter whose versatility discourages labeling. So, call it what you will, but listen with mind and heart wide open, and you may just find yourself transformed.

Beth and her husband and their good puppy dog live in beautiful Lyons, Colorado. When Beth is not writing and touring around the country playing clubs, festivals, and house concerts, she still occasionally finds the time to bake and ride horses.

 

AWARDS… 

Winner -		2006 Sisters Folk Festival Dave Carter Memorial Songwriting Contest
Winner -		2005 Kerrville New Folk Contest
Winner -		2nd Place – 2005 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriters Contest
Winner -		2004 Wildflower Festival Songwriters Contest
Finalist -		2007 Telluride Troubadour Contest
Winner -		2006 Top 20 Acoustic/Folk Category – Unisong International Songwriting��Contest
Honorable Mention -		2006 Mountain Stage Newsong Contest
Honorable Mention -		2005 Billboard World Song Contest
Winner -		2000 Campus Activities Magazine Coffeehouse Entertainer of the Year
Winner -		1999 Campus Activities Magazine Club Performer of the Year
Finalist -		2000, 2001, and 2002 Campus Activities Magazine Contemporary Music Artist of the Year

FESTIVALS…
Music Midtown (Atlanta, GA)
Bele Chere Festival (Asheville, NC)
SXSW (Austin, TX)
Mandarin Folk Festival (Jacksonville, FL)
North Texas New Music Festival (Dallas, TX)
Kerrville Folk Festival (Kerrville, TX)
Sisters Folk Festival (Sisters, OR)
Atlanta Dogwood Festival
Tucson Folk Festival
Riverbend Festival (Chattanooga, TN)
Wildflower Festival (Richardson, TX)
Buddy Holly Music Festival and Symposium (Lubbock, TX)

INSTRUMENTATION…
Beth plays many of her gigs with acoustic guitar and vocals. She often uses two guitars for alternate tunings when travel permits. She also incorporates piano into her set when one is available. Beth is occasionally joined by a combination of assorted players (drums, bass, guitar/mandolin).