Make This Happen!

Make it happen by sharing on Facebook and with friends at least once a week!

The Pokagon Area Folk Music Collective is an abstract idea rather than a concrete, defined entity. Anyone who wishes or imagines himself to be a member, or who participates in a Collective activity, is a member, by that virtue alone. My role is simply to facilitate and catalyze connections and ideas that bring people and music together. More specifically, I neither have nor will I accept operational or financial responsibilities beyond promoting this vision. Whatever happens in the course of Collective get-togethers is entirely the responsibility of individual parties enjoying themselves on equal footing.

Pokagon Scene

Pokagon Scene

A Vision for the Trine State Recreation Area Venue



Jim Weber,  known and loved by regional musicians and audiences alike, has accepted the challenge and opportunity of working with the Pokagon management and regional musicians to seed and develop regular, ongoing Pokagon Area Folk Music Collective happenings at the 200 acre Trine State Recreation Area. This is a fantastic opportunity for musicians, park visitors, and the region’s music-loving folk to Get Together in a moving and soulful common endeavor: the creation and enjoyment of Music!


Of course this will evolve considerably over time as awareness grows and Jim explores various directions – and to be clear, Jim will serve as the Executive and make final decisions.


But in the meantime, I want to share some thoughts, suggestions, impulses, etc, and hope you will do the same, but be patient. Jim will be very busy, only so much can happen in X months, so while we are waiting for Y and Z, make sure to ask Jim “What can I do to help?”


Initial Thoughts, Suggestions, Impulses


  1. The audience is as important as the musicians. Engage them – they are the Folk! Allow for some sing-along. End each happening with everybody singing This Land is Your Land!
  2. In the same vein, every happening might include Get Together, and the folk should join in the refrain: Come on people now, Smile on your brother, Everybody get together, Going to love one another, Right now...
  3. Of course not all music should be joined by the audience, and performers will signal when it is and is not appropriate.
  4. On Folk versus Rock: To some degree, Rock is today’s Folk, and might be mixed in, people love it! And again, sometimes the musicians alone should be heard… but other times, now and then - invite voice, shakers, cow bells, whatever - even dancing! It will happen if someone leads.
  5. Set some time aside now and then for less experienced musicians, and encourage them to get up out of the audience and onto the stage. This is a priority with Jon Getz, and I whole-heartedly agree. This is a Folk venue, and the Folk must be included!
  6. KEEP IT FRESH! Continually seek out and engage other musicians who don’t play the same old venues, bars, etc. Never let it degenerate into “Same people, same songs, been there, heard that.”
  7. How can you keep engaging new musicians and bigger audiences?
    1. Testify!
    2. Work the Internet!

Encourage the Audience to:
  • Take pictures that Jim Weber, Pokagon management, and musicians might use for promotion
  • Share photos and your experience and on Facebook, always including the next date
  • Write brief but interesting summaries or highlights, and don’t be shy about talking to the musicians… Most will welcome the attention
  • Note songs you enjoyed, especially ones you never heard before. Credit the performers by name if you can, and if possible, say something about why you liked them so much (the song, music, and/or performer).
  • Interview the musicians and write something about them
  • Blog about the events, and include interesting-seeming people in the audience
  • Brand the events. Always include the title
Pokagon Area Folk Music Collective at Trine SRA
when writing or talking about these events 


Basically the Audience and Musicians Should
PROMOTE THESE HAPPENINGS! 


If these things happen over time, we will have built something VERY significant and rewarding.



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